Cats want to host a big Victorian club in 2015Peter Ryan
afl.com.au
August 21, 2014GEELONG is pushing hard to play at least one big drawing Victorian club at Simonds Stadium next season, with the Cats adamant they could host either Carlton or Richmond at the venue.
Geelong has already made it clear to the AFL it hopes to be granted eight games at Simonds Stadium in 2015 and it wants to play four of them against Victorian teams.
Richmond has been a regular visitor to Simonds Stadium, having played there seven times since 2000, however Carlton has not travelled down the Princes Highway for a game since round 20, 1997.
Geelong CEO Brian Cook told AFL.com.au he thought there were only a few clubs that could not be accommodated down at Simonds Stadium.
"Hawthorn, Collingwood and probably Essendon, they are the three [that could not play at Simonds]," Cook said.
"There is a strong argument to suggest that all of the others, given their form would be suitable opposition down at Simonds next year."
Geelong played a home game against Richmond at the MCG in round seven this season, which attracted 34,377 on a wet Sunday.
Carlton played two exciting games against Geelong at Etihad Stadium this season. The games attracted an average crowd of 37,882, dipping below 40,000 at the venue for the first time since 2007.
A game against the Blues would be expected to attract a big crowd to Simonds Stadium.
Geelong keeps 5000 tickets for match day sales, with the remainder being sold as season packages. Its research showed that when it played a home game against Richmond at the MCG this season, fewer than 2500 Tiger members attended the game.
As part of its submission to play eight games at the venue, Geelong would like to play four day and four night games and play four Victorian-based clubs and four interstate clubs at the venue.
In 2014, it was scheduled to play five night games, a twilight game and a day game. It played three Victorian based clubs (St Kilda, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs) as well as Fremantle, Adelaide, West Coast and the Brisbane Lions.
With one game remaining it has averaged 25,521 spectators at a ground that now holds 33,500.
Cook said the eighth game would give better value to its members (only one in five Geelong members who live in Geelong travel to the Cats' home games in Melbourne) and also allow it to meet budgetary requirements to contribute to the equalisation fund.
Geelong is lobbying for Government funding to complete stage four redevelopment of Simonds Stadium that would lift the ground's capacity to 38,000.
Geelong has played three home games at Etihad Stadium in each of the past two seasons, an exercise which impacts negatively on the club's bottom line.
President Colin Carter said in July it felt as though it was picking up the tab for Victorian clubs who play profitable games at venues outside of Victoria.
He said its request for an eighth game was based on logic and fairness.
Cook said the request for an eighth game would benefit Geelong's fan engagement and budget strategies and would also provide its members with value for money.
The AFL is well aware of the Cats' desire to play an eighth home game and has said the request will be "given due consideration in the fixturing process in the coming weeks, along with the many other variables and contractual obligations that need to be considered in the process."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-21/cats-want-home-blockbuster
