Surely... it's the end of Geelong home games in Melbourne

[Bunk Moreland]

Surely the time has come?

About $200m has been ploughed into the joint... mostly by taxpayers. Ok... well, marginal seat, good luck to them, there's worse things to spend money on.

Wouldn't the govt have got assurances they'd get maximum use out of it, starting with 11 GFC games and all finals?

It'll soon hold 40k which is the same or more as plenty of other stadiums in the AFL.

The AFL no longer has contracts for number of games at Etihad.

With ground rationalisation ruining "home and away" footy in Vic, it'd be nice to have at least one club with a home ground.

Geelong isn't in Melbourne. There's more than enough Melbourne clubs without importing home games from out of town.

 

[Benny78]

They wouldn't have dared given them to us 10 years ago. Would have 5 premierships.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Still going to get way more than 40k against the big Melbourne clubs depending on ladder position.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Etihad = 55k+
Mcg = 90k+

How exactly will Skilled take that over?

 

[Art Corvelay]

I'm 100% for Geelong getting 11 home games in Geelong. It's their home ground, and harkens back to the VFL, travelling to enemy territory to watch a match.

All for it. Screw the impact on AFL crowd numbers.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Couldn't play Easter Monday in Geelong IMO.

 

[Sttew]

Surely the time has come?

About $200m has been ploughed into the joint... mostly by taxpayers. Ok... well, marginal seat, good luck to them, there's worse things to spend money on.

Wouldn't the govt have got assurances they'd get maximum use out of it, starting with 11 GFC games and all finals?

It'll soon hold 40k which is the same or more as plenty of other stadiums in the AFL.

The AFL no longer has contracts for number of games at Etihad.

With ground rationalisation ruining "home and away" footy in Vic, it'd be nice to have at least one club with a home ground.

Geelong isn't in Melbourne. There's more than enough Melbourne clubs without importing home games from out of town.

No home games at Etihad

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Etihad = 55k+
Mcg = 90k+

How exactly will Skilled take that over?

Neither of them is in (or even close) to Geelong, and Geelong isn't in Melbourne.

Now there is a large, state of the art stadium in Geelong. Why on earth would they be playing anywhere else? It's ridiculous.

 

[Balance]

About $200m has been ploughed into the joint... mostly by taxpayers. Ok... well, marginal seat, good luck to them, there's worse things to spend money on.

Wouldn't the govt have got assurances they'd get maximum use out of it, starting with 11 GFC games and all finals?

It'll soon hold 40k which is the same or more as plenty of other stadiums in the AFL.

The above is the problem. The taxpayers paid so that corporates get maximum use out of the stadium, not the taxpayers... hence the 40k capacity. 40k is not enough capacity to play every home game plus finals.

 

[Bluelegs]

Surely the time has come?

About $200m has been ploughed into the joint... mostly by taxpayers. Ok... well, marginal seat, good luck to them, there's worse things to spend money on.

Wouldn't the govt have got assurances they'd get maximum use out of it, starting with 11 GFC games and all finals?

It'll soon hold 40k which is the same or more as plenty of other stadiums in the AFL.

The AFL no longer has contracts for number of games at Etihad.

With ground rationalisation ruining "home and away" footy in Vic, it'd be nice to have at least one club with a home ground.

Geelong isn't in Melbourne. There's more than enough Melbourne clubs without importing home games from out of town.

When was the last time Essendon, Carlton or Collingwood played at Kardinia? Will believe it when I see it. Until then I expect the smaller vic clubs will get shafted with an unfair number of games in Geelong just so the Cats can fill their quota.

 

[Power Raid]

the stadium looks fabulous

 

[LeverPuller]

The problem is Geelong has 54,000 members. 54 doesn't go into 36.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

When was the last time Essendon, Carlton or Collingwood played at Kardinia? Will believe it when I see it. Until then I expect the smaller vic clubs will get shafted with an unfair number of games in Geelong just so the Cats can fill their quota.

If Essendon are away to Geelong I'd be happy for them to play there.

Seems beyond ridiculous to have spent hundreds of millions on a brand new stadium and the tenants don't even play their home games there.

The above is the problem. The taxpayers paid so that corporates get maximum use out of the stadium, not the taxpayers... hence the 40k capacity. 40k is not enough capacity to play every home game plus finals.

TBH perspectives on stadium size are skewed by the G. 40k is plenty big enough for a city and club like Geelong.

 

[Underarm]

All for 11 home games in Geelong. If my club has to go there so should every club.

Home finals v Melbourne clubs at the the ground they have always played finals at - MCG.

 

[Art Corvelay]

The problem is Geelong has 54,000 members. 54 doesn't go into 36.

How many attending members though? Let's be honest, must clubs would struggle to get 65% of their members going to a match.

 

[Bluelegs]

If Essendon are away to Geelong I'd be happy for them to play there.

Seems beyond ridiculous to have spent hundreds of millions on a brand new stadium and the tenants don't even play their home games there.

Agree. And surely the cats make more from a packed Kardinia than 50k at the 'G since they own the stadium. From the interview with Cook though it sounds like Collingwood and Essendon won't have to put Geelong into their GPS' for a while yet.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The problem is Geelong has 54,000 members. 54 doesn't go into 36.

With AFL, MCC and Medallion members reserves excluded - none of which are available to club members - the G holds about 56k and Etihad about 46k.

 

[Pedantic]

Wouldn't bother me (has no impact on Melbourne), but considering the club itself aren't even asking for 11 home games at KP it seems unlikely to happen.

 

[loki04]

How many attending members though? Let's be honest, must clubs would struggle to get 65% of their members going to a match.

Depends on who they vs and where they are on the ladder.

There is a reason they ASK to play pies at MCG with regular 80k crowds.

 

[Great8]

When was the last time Essendon, Carlton or Collingwood played at Kardinia? Will believe it when I see it. Until then I expect the smaller vic clubs will get shafted with an unfair number of games in Geelong just so the Cats can fill their quota.

I know it was 93 for us. Reckon Collingwood and Carlton played there in the late 90's, think Collingwood was 99?

 

[Captain Morgan]

I know it was 93 for us. Reckon Collingwood and Carlton played there in the late 90's, think Collingwood was 99?

You mean 1899 for collingwood ?

Boom-tish !

 

[parano1a]

Now there is a large, state of the art stadium in Geelong. Why on earth would they be playing anywhere else? It's ridiculous.

Geelong v Collingwood regularly draws 60-70k. Why should 30-40k fans be denied a chance to attend these games when the MCG is only 1 hour away from Geelong?

 

[Art Corvelay]

Geelong v Collingwood regularly draws 60-70k. Why should 30-40k fans be denied a chance to attend these games when the MCG is only 1 hour away from Geelong?

Why should Geelong be denied home games at their home ground?

 

[parano1a]

A better use of the Stadium would be say 9 Geelong home games and 2 Bulldogs home games. Surely its a better option for Dogs fans than selling games to Cairns, Darwin or wherever.

 

[parano1a]

Why should Geelong be denied home games at their home ground?

The AFL has had a ground rationalisation policy since the 1990s. By the same token Collingwood have to host Etihad tenants at Etihad.