Geelong expects Collingwood and Carlton to play at Kardinia Park

Geelong is thrilled with the fixture it was dealt. But there is a growing expectation from the Cats that all Victorian clubs should travel down the highway.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 12: Oliver Henry of the Cats celebrates a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 18 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Geelong Cats at Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 12, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Geelong believes Collingwood and Carlton should play at the 40,000-seat Kardinia Park, with the club expecting all Victorian clubs to travel down the highway in the coming years.

Geelong successfully secured an extra home game in the 2025 fixture – playing 10 matches at GMHBA Stadium for the first time since 1996 – but the club is also pushing for more matches against the big Victorian clubs.

Collingwood has not played at Kardinia Park since round 15, 1999 while Carlton last featured at the venue in 2019 excluding the Covid-affected 2020 season.

The Pies hosted Geelong at the MCG last season in a game that drew 73,495 and 87.775 turned out for Geelong’s home clash at the MCG against Carlton.

Hawthorn and Richmond both played at GMHBA Stadium in 2024, the first season with its boosted capacity.

Essendon will be the next ‘big five’ Victorian club to play at the renovated Kardinia Park – it’s second game at the venue since 1993 aside from two clashes during the Covid years.

Richmond will return to Kardinia Park in 2025, with Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda the other Victorian clubs facing the Cats on their home turf.

Geelong Chief of Growth and Strategy Officer Marcus King is thrilled with the Cats’ draw from a fixture, football and commercial perspective, believing 10 games in Geelong will be “significant” for the club and the local community.

But he said the club feels all sides should play at the boutique stadium into the future.

Scott Pendlebury has never played at GMHBA Stadium. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“We had been speaking with the AFL over the last couple of years really about big teams coming down here regularly, particularly with the 40,000 capacity stadium,” King told this publication.

“When the capacity was less, it was harder to justify having big teams down here, but with 40,000 capacity our view is every team should be able to come down here at a certain point in time.

“That’s the conversation we have been having with the AFL and we’ve got two next year of that ‘big five’– Essendon and Richmond.

“We had Richmond and Hawthorn this year, and we would hope and expect to have others in the years to come.

“Whether it is Collingwood or Carlton or Hawthorn or Essendon or Richmond, in any certain year we would expect to get at least a couple of those clubs.”

Geelong did not request to open the season or Gather Round but told the AFL it was open to playing in Opening Round.

“I can understand why the AFL have scheduled that as the opener for the season given the preliminary final and how the two teams have played in the last year,” King said.

King believes Geelong’s overall fixture can be a membership boon as the club targets 100,000 members in 2025.

“We are really proud of achieving around 92,000 members this year and we are aiming for 100,000. We will need our fans and supporters to get behind that but we think it is a fixture that supports both people in Geelong and people in Melbourne but also fans around the country,” King said.

He was pleased by the prime time Bailey Smith showdown against his former club the Western Bulldogs and expects the social media sensation to help bring extra attention to the club.

“We hope that he will help us in performing strongly as a team but I think he does have a following – particularly amongst younger fans,” King said.

“We are looking forward to seeing what that brings.”

Originally published as Geelong expects Collingwood and Carlton to play at Kardinia Park