Former Geelong CEO Brian Cook says Cats not suited to host a final amid GMHBA Stadium works

Brian Cook once led campaigns to play finals at Kardinia Park, but the Carlton boss now says this isn’t the year for the venue despite an expected glut of AFL finals in Victoria.

Geelong is “unfortunately” not suited to hosting a home final this year according to ex-Cats boss and current Carlton chief executive Brian Cook, even if every game in week one of the finals series is staged in Victoria.

Based on the current AFL ladder, four Victorian sides are in position to host a final in the first week of September, with Geelong and Melbourne in place to host qualifying finals and Carlton and Collingwood elimination finals.

Brian Cook handed over the Geelong CEO job to Steve Hocking. Picture: Alan Barber

The incredibly tight ladder is likely to change but there is a strong possibility four games could be played in Victoria in week one of the finals, which would most likely lead to one being played away from the MCG.

The same scenario occurred in 2013, when Geelong hosted and lost a qualifying final to Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium.

If four Victorian sides do end up hosting finals, the Cats would then likely host either interstate side Brisbane Lions or Fremantle, reducing the expected crowd for the clash.

Cook led several pushes for finals in Geelong during his 23-year tenure as chief executive including in 2016 when he said “it is our right” to host a final against a “lower drawing capacity team”.

But the esteemed administrator said Marvel Stadium would be a better option in 2022.

As it continues its stage 5 redevelopment, GMHBA Stadium’s capacity has been greatly reduced, with the 21,501 crowd at last week’s blockbuster against Melbourne the largest attendance at the ground this year.

Fremantle enjoyed a famous win in a 2013 qualifying final in Geelong. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Asked if it was viable for Geelong to host a final, Cook said “probably not at GMHBA (Stadium) unfortunately as AFL can always use Marvel (Stadium)”.

“When the stadium is finished and at 40,000 capacity, absolutely,” he said.

Works continue at GMHBA Stadium.

Should the ladder hold, the AFL will face a fixture conundrum given the weekend would feature a blockbuster elimination final between two of the biggest clubs in the competition (at this stage Carlton would host Richmond) and another major Melbourne team (Collingwood against Sydney), which would both pack out the MCG.

Neither Melbourne nor Geelong play home games at Marvel Stadium and between the two teams they are slated to play there just four times this year.

The AFL has not considered the finals fixture yet, with six rounds to come in the home-and-away season and seven of the sides in the top-eight separated by just two games.

The league has not made a call whether it will play finals from Thursday to Saturday, Friday to Sunday like the 2021 finals began, or even kick off on a Wednesday night.

Geelong and Melbourne play under cranes last week. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

GMHBA Stadium has not been ruled in or out of hosting a game.

After openly campaigning for a home final in years gone by, Geelong has declared it will abide by whatever the AFL decides this year, and some figures in the club have not even considered the chance of a home final given the ground’s low capacity.

Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking said the Cats would let the AFL make its call and “we are aligned with them”.

The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust operates GMHBA Stadium and the trust’s boss Gerard Griffin said last month “you should probably never say never” to the prospect of an AFL final this year but it was “probably unlikely”.

Originally published as Former Geelong CEO Brian Cook says Cats not suited to host a final amid GMHBA Stadium works