Geelong straps in for full Cattery in 2022

VICTORIAN footy fans are buzzing following the recent announcement by the state government that full capacity crowds will again grace its venues.

The excitement, particularly in Geelong, is brewing as GMHBA Stadium falls under the list of venues to fully open their gates.

One hundred per cent capacity crowds will be seen at the MCG, Marvel Stadium, GMHBA Stadium and Mars Stadium during 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season after almost two years of limited seating and reduced crowd numbers.

In preparation for a blockbuster return to mass footy crowds, all 10 Victorian AFL teams will play in Melbourne in Round One with five blockbuster games over five days, the first time all 10 have played in the state during the same round since Round 20, 2016.

The Cats will “host” the Bombers for the annual Country Game at the MCG in a traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot of 2.10pm on March 19 to kickstart its campaign.

But the big day for Geelong locals is marked on the calendars for April 8 with the Cats returning to a fully seated Cattery in Round 4’s Friday night clash against the Brisbane Lions.

CEO of the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, Gerard Griffin, will be one of many who will be ecstatic to experience the full voice of the Geelong faithful for the first time in years.

“We’re ready to welcome a full capacity crowd back to GMHBA stadium for the Cats’ first home game,” Mr Griffen said.

“The roar of the Cats’ crowd is unique to Geelong and the atmosphere will be electric.”

The AFL’s CEO Gillon McLachlan is grateful for the Victorian government’s decision to lift capacity limits and bringing back the tradition of going to the footy to as many Victorians as possible.

“We want to get big crowds back to the footy, the weekly ritual of being able to go to a game and the sense of community it creates, connecting families and friends is something we have missed in the state,” Mr McLachlan said.

“On behalf of the AFL I would like to thank the Victorian State Government, specifically Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula and Minister for Health Martin Foley for continuing to work with us and safely get as many fans back to the footy as possible.

“Footy can hopefully help bring the heartbeat of the city back to Melbourne and back to the state of Victoria.”

Club members will once again be able to return to scanning their membership at the gate, and general public walk-ups will be available at the venues.

The AFL has stated that ticketing on-sale information will be released in the coming weeks.

Per Victorian Government guidelines, attendees will be required to check-in in with the Services Victoria app to confirm their vaccination status on entry to the venue.

Masks will be required when moving around stadiums with more than 30,000 fans, however not when fans are seated outdoors.

Venues with a capacity of less than 30,000, including GMHBA Stadium which is currently constructing its new 14,000 seat stand, do not require approval to host capacity crowds under current COVIDSafe settings.

The Cats have nine games scheduled at GMHBA Stadium during the 2022 season.