AFL will schedule Geelong’s cut-throat semi-final against West Coast at the MCG

The AFL is set to schedule Geelong’s cut-throat semi-final against West Coast at the MCG. And one premiership coach says the Cats should consider walking away from GMHBA Stadium.

Dejected Geelong players after losing to Collingwood. Pic: Michael Klein.

Geelong’s hopes of hosting West Coast at GMHBA Stadium are dead in the water with the AFL expected to lock in Friday night’s semi-final at the MCG.

While the semi-final venues and exact timeslots won’t be confirmed by the AFL until after tonight’s qualifying final between Brisbane Lions and Richmond, a bumper crowd of 80,000 would be expected to watch the Cats and Eagles play off for a place in the preliminary final.

While West Coast’s cross-town rival Fremantle travelled to GMHBA Stadium for the 2013 qualifying final, the Cats’ hierarchy has since been left infuriated at being forced to host finals at the MCG.

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Cats coach Chris Scott said after last night’s qualifying loss to Collingwood: “We’ve said our piece (on home finals). It’s clear and I’m not going to say it again”.

While Geelong has spent the year intensely lobbying the AFL – both privately and publicly – for a home final, president Colin Carter said today he “assumed” next week’s semi-final would be staged at the MCG.

Premiership coach Paul Roos said that while the Cats deserved to host finals down the highway, it was time for the club to consider walking away from its home ground.

“They have to say our home ground is the MCG, we’re only playing three games (at Geelong) because we want to win a premiership,” Roos said on 3AW.

Geelong hosted West Coast in the 2011 preliminary final at the MCG, prevailing by 48 points in front of 59,455 fans on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The two teams have not met at the MCG since. The Cats have won their past six meetings at Kardinia Park while the Eagles have won five of their past six meetings in Perth.

Joel Selwood’s Cats thumped West Coast at GMHBA Stadium earlier this year — but will have to face the Eagles at the MCG next week. Pic: AFL Photos

Two years ago the Cats, having lost a qualifying final, hosted the Sydney Swans at the MCG in a Friday night semi-final.

On that night, 55,529 fans watched Chris Scott’s team bounce back to advance to a preliminary final.

The Cats are in danger of becoming the first minor premier to be bundled out in straight sets since North Melbourne all the way back in 1983.

Former Western Bulldogs and Richmond star Nathan Brown said Cats players were defending the MCG as if it was the skinnier Geelong venue, hurting the team’s structures against Collingwood.

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But dual All-Australian defender Tom Stewart was excited at the prospect of meeting the Eagles at the ground they won last year’s premiership.

“I would put a lot of money saying we’d be playing here (MCG),” Stewart said.

“I can’t speak for the other boys but I couldn’t care less.

“This is where you have to win games of footy, it’s an hour drive to get up to here, it’s the best ground in Australia so I love playing up here.”