There's nothing like it

[MOONEY 21]

I went down to cat park today for the first time in about 2-3 years.
I adore this place. I love the fact that Geelong are the only side left from the original VFL teams that still house games at their traditional home ground. (albeit to the hatred coming from opposition supporters that call us cheats because we still get to play there, just a mask of jealousy really).

The people/fans are fantastic and have a lot of comaraderie towards opposition supporters. I love seeing all the little kids run around with their little cats jumpers on. I love lining up to get into the cats merch shop. I love kicking the ball on the ground after the final siren (makes me feel like a kid again). I love walking around all the nooks and crannys of the place and rekindling memories of when i was little and thinking of all the past champions that have walked around the place.

I love how its more of a family orientated ground than any other ground in the country. I love hearing the kids cheer and yell out "chapppyyyyy!". I love being surrounded by cats supporters. I love the 'home town' feel of the place and i love being a part of it. I love the intimacy of watching games there and being so close to the players, i love how it feels like suburban footy, just like it did when i grew up. I love how much pride the people of this city have in their team.

I love the new talent coming through. A breath of new life and an insight into the future. After being so strong for so long how on earth did we recruit guys like Taylor, Menzel, Hunt, Duncan, Vardy, Brown, christensen, and motlop?

Sure all the other clubs have ditched their traditional home grounds to upgrade to the likes of the mcg and jihad stadium to make more money but im so glad Geelong hasnt because id be heartbroken if they shut this place down. What Geelong has cant be bought with money and is so valuable to the fans, such as us.

Scatter my ashes on cat park one day. i love this club and everything associated with it.

 

[Tuggacat]

Re: Theres nothing like it

I FEEL THE LOVE! Days like today make me wish I was still iving in Melbourne instead of the cultural (footy) wasteland of Canberra.

 

[S for September]

Re: Theres nothing like it

May as well move to Geelong mate!

Nothing better then being able to walk to the ground.

Great post.

 

[Vdubs]

Re: Theres nothing like it

We travel from Mitcham for most home games, takes about 100 minutes to get there, and we sat next to a great guy from Terang, near Warrnambool, and he also travels about 100 minutes. Amazing. I used to walk 5 minutes to get to KP when I was a kid, and this team and stadium still has an allure that is exactly as the OP has described.

 

[Casey Cat]

Re: Theres nothing like it

Excellent post Mooney21!

 

[MOONEY 21]

Re: Theres nothing like it

i also love how half the crowd just walks home from the game, its fantastic!

took my hawk supporting mrs to cat park today, she loved it.....'wayyy better than watching games anywhere else" she said.

Im working hard on conforming her, today she saw the light. hahah

 

[kanyewest]

Re: Theres nothing like it

I feel the love as well!

Great post. I haven't been down there in the last few years but you make me want to. Happy to hear you enjoyed it mate, and glad they put on a good show.

Go Cats.

 

[MOONEY 21]

Re: Theres nothing like it

i also love how half the crowd just walks home from the game, its fantastic!

took my hawk supporting mrs to cat park today, she loved it.....'wayyy better than watching games anywhere else" she said.

Im working hard on conforming her, today she saw the light. hahah

might i add i write this as she sits on the couch wearing my woolen cats jumper from 1991 that i lent to her! heheh

quick question.....open training sessions..... id happily drive down 2 hours to see the lads train as ive never seen them train before....when do they have open sessions and is there any chance of getting some memorabilia signed after the session?

 

[Renegade]

Re: Theres nothing like it

Top post Moondog.

I live in the US and it's tough not being able to stand out there at Skilled and lap up the atmosphere. Thankfully i'm moving back to Aus in a few weeks and being at a catters game down in Geelong is what's exciting me the most, nothing like it. LOVE IT! I too would be heartbroken if we stopped playing games there.

 

[topic97]

Re: Theres nothing like it

Always loved going to KP games.
Atmosphere is awesome and I always love that you get no booing from our supporters when the opposition kicks a goal - just dead silence!!

Then the ability to have a kick on the ground with mates after!!

 

[fpm84]

I love the fact that I can get a free parking spot less than four blocks away from the ground! Try doing that near the MCG or Etihad Stadium.

I also love the fact that I can be at home, in Melbourne, less than 80 minutes after the final siren.

 

[JUBJUB]

Re: Theres nothing like it

We travel from Mitcham for most home games, takes about 100 minutes to get there, and we sat next to a great guy from Terang, near Warrnambool, and he also travels about 100 minutes.

Yet some opposition people who travel from close to Melbourne once a year make it sound like it's a 3-4 hours travel each way.
A woman who use to sit near me travels by train from Traralgon to most home games.Isn't that 2-3 hours away by road ? Just imagine how long it would be by train.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Re: Theres nothing like it

I FEEL THE LOVE! Days like today make me wish I was still iving in Melbourne instead of the cultural (footy) wasteland of Canberra.

Get along to some NEAFL games, there's plenty of good footy people in the ACT. You can go watch Tuggeranong play the Swans reserves next weekend, that's something

 

[YIIIABLETTT]

Re: Theres nothing like it

I flew over to Melbourne and made my first trip down to Geelong for the crows game and had a blast. Super ground, great feel about it and that post pretty much sums up all my feelings towards the ground.

 

[bingle]

Re: Theres nothing like it

unless i've got a big birthday, a wedding or something really important on i'm there with bells on for our home games. i live in the outer eastern suburbs (bit further out from mitcham) and it usually takes a bit over 2 hrs on the train and a bit under 2 hrs in the car (provided there's no traffic) to get there.
it does have that authentic suburban feel about it and i too love seeing the kids running around and having fun. reminds me of the days out at waverley when we used to be able to cram 5 or 6 of us in to the neighbours old kingswood for the drive down to the game. pack your footy's, your picnic basket, your portable barby and your snags. the dad's had a slab or fosters or vic in the boot as well, ha! great day out.
i'm glad kids today can experience something like that down at skilled in a time where the AFL are hell bent on making the season in to a night competition for the sake of TV and money.
the fact that your allowed on the ground post game and that their are plenty of spots to have a kick around the ground is fantastic. really takes you back to a great place when right now we live in an age where at etihad there is no chance ever of getting on the ground post game unless you want to slapped with a 5k fine and no space at all to kick a footy around the concrete jungle without getting in trouble.

Great OP

 

[oozeboss]

I love this thread, and the warmth & genuine passion that simply oozes through it. I love the way it reminds us exactly why we are Geelong.

When I was a kid growing up in Adelaide's southern plains I walked for 45 minutes to every Glenelg home game in 1973 (when we broke our 37 year drought). KP/ SS looks very much the same sort of ground as we had at the Bay, and I love hearing the commentators inevitably drooling over the atmosphere & the crowd in every single broadcast.

I live in Sydney now, and the closest I've been to Geelong is Avalon airport. Hopefully, that will change during the current season.

I love that we post here from all around Oz, and that the AFL chat during the last game had Catters signing in from over the world, many of whom had never been to our wide brown land let alone the Holy Town. The Hoops have a distinct & universal appeal, as like our uniform, we are a club that actually means something more than a mere brand and random set of colours.

I love that.

WE ARE GEELONG!

 

[topic97]

I love this thread, and the warmth & genuine passion that simply oozes through it. I love the way it reminds us exactly why we are Geelong.

When I was a kid growing up in Adelaide's southern plains I walked for 45 minutes to every Glenelg home game in 1973 (when we broke our 37 year drought). KP/ SS looks very much the same sort of ground as we had at the Bay, and I love hearing the commentators inevitably drooling over the atmosphere & the crowd in every single broadcast.

I live in Sydney now, and the closest I've been to Geelong is Avalon airport. Hopefully, that will change during the current season.

I love that we post here from all around Oz, and that the AFL chat during the last game had Catters signing in from over the world, many of whom had never been to our wide brown land let alone the Holy Town. The Hoops have a distinct & universal appeal, as like our uniform, we are a club that actually means something more than a mere brand and random set of colours.

I love that.

WE ARE GEELONG!

Ahh, it reminds me why I go for the Cats in the first place.....

When I was a little tacker, my grandparents used to have a caravan in Ocean Grove so we used to spend most school holidays down there.
And what drew me in to the Cats was just seeing the color and decorations about the town when they made the finals - especially when we made the 89 and 92 grand finals.
I dont think one shop didnt have windows full of blue and white, just unreal to see!!

And the first game my dad took me to at KP, we got to the gate probably at about 8 in the morning to get a good seat.
We got a seat right up the front on one of the old hard wood benches right on the 50 near where the Ablett Terrace is now, and I got to see Ablett boot 6 goals including taking a set shot from the boundary right in front of us!!

Ahh I love that ground and I love my team!!

 

[goyoucatters]

Re: Theres nothing like it

unless i've got a big birthday, a wedding or something really important on i'm there with bells on for our home games. i live in the outer eastern suburbs (bit further out from mitcham) and it usually takes a bit over 2 hrs on the train and a bit under 2 hrs in the car (provided there's no traffic) to get there.
it does have that authentic suburban feel about it and i too love seeing the kids running around and having fun. reminds me of the days out at waverley when we used to be able to cram 5 or 6 of us in to the neighbours old kingswood for the drive down to the game. pack your footy's, your picnic basket, your portable barby and your snags. the dad's had a slab or fosters or vic in the boot as well, ha! great day out.
i'm glad kids today can experience something like that down at skilled in a time where the AFL are hell bent on making the season in to a night competition for the sake of TV and money.
the fact that your allowed on the ground post game and that their are plenty of spots to have a kick around the ground is fantastic. really takes you back to a great place when right now we live in an age where at etihad there is no chance ever of getting on the ground post game unless you want to slapped with a 5k fine and no space at all to kick a footy around the concrete jungle without getting in trouble.

Great OP

I'm a QLD Cats fan who's been following from afar for over 30 years.

Usually get down to Victoria once/twice a season, and always prioritise organising my trips around our games at KP.

Got down again on the weekend, and loved the fact that everyone was back out on the ground after the game for a kick-to-kick.

Was made even more satisfying when the announcement had been made during the last quarter that there would be no members of the general public allowed on the ground after the game, due to the condition of the ground (by the way, surface seemed absolutely fine to me).

This announcement was then contradicted all of five minutes later with the news that access to the ground would be permitted after the second siren.

I wondered exactly who had spoken to whom to change the 'management decision'.

Anyway, everyone got out there and enjoyed themselves (the little bloke who came with us was just rapt to get out onto the same ground the players had just been competing on), and I got yet another reminder that there is no better place in the world to watch footy than at Kardinia Park.

GO CATS!

 

[bingle]

Re: Theres nothing like it

Was made even more satisfying when the announcement had been made during the last quarter that there would be no members of the general public allowed on the ground after the game, due to the condition of the ground (by the way, surface seemed absolutely fine to me).

This announcement was then contradicted all of five minutes later with the news that access to the ground would be permitted after the second siren.

I wondered exactly who had spoken to whom to change the 'management decision'.

I thought it sounded a bit strange. i had a feeling it was something to do with the weather conditions rather than the state of the ground. If it was going to be wet under foot i can imagine the club wouldnt want the kids (and big kids) easily tearing it up in the wet but then when the weather fined up and showed no signs of rain in the couple of hours to follow they decided bugger it, let them on.

 

[Scuderia]

OP is great. Totally agree.

One small thing I don't like is when supporters at home grounds don't acknowledge the opposition's right to a free kick.