Geelong to play extra home game at GMHBA Stadium in 2025

Geelong put in a fixture request to the AFL and it has been confirmed by the club.

Oliver Dempsey greets Cats fans. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Geelong is set to play an extra home game at GMHBA Stadium next season in a boost for the club.

The Cats put in a request to the AFL to play 10 games in front of its home fans in Geelong — up from nine last season.

The AFL fixture isn’t announced until November, but the club issued a statement to their website saying they are “set to play an additional home game at GMHBA Stadium” in 2025.

The change likely leaves Geelong’s Easter Monday clash with Hawthorn as its lone home game at the MCG, hosting two games at the home of football last season.

Jeremy Cameron celebrates with fans. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The Cats averaged a crowd of 31,667 at GMHBA Stadium in the first season with the Joel Selwood stand in action, the highlight being their blockbuster round one clash against St Kilda which attracted 39,352 spectators.

Geelong had an average attendance of 27,811 in 2019, its last full season before Covid and renovations impacted crowd figures.

The turnout for their marquee clash with Richmond drew a less than expected 31,054 fans but the match was played on a cold Saturday night when the Tigers were down the bottom of the ladder.

While a fortress in previous years, Geelong found the going tougher down at Kardinia Park in 2024, finishing with a 6-3 win-loss record, the worst result a 47-defeat to the Western Bulldogs in the wet.

Four of those games were decided by less than eight points, with the Cats splitting the difference in those tight clashes.

Originally published as Geelong to play extra home game at GMHBA Stadium in 2025