Local football fans will find out next month which venues will host the Geelong and Bellarine league finals, with the door open for the GFNL decider to be played at GMHBA Stadium.
AFL Barwon chair Michelle Gerdtz says the call for both leagues will be made at next month’s commission meeting.
The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust has been vocal in its desire for AFL Barwon to use GMHBA Stadium, with recent meetings involving the Geelong Football Club discussing how to make using the region’s premier venue sustainable.
AFL Barwon reported a $170,000 loss for the year ended October 31, 2024, with increased wages and finals costs contributing to the result.
“We’ve got more meetings with them, and talking traffic management and those sorts of things because that’s the cost; security, (and) traffic management,” Gerdtz told K rock Football.
“Where can we make some changes from last year that mean it’s more viable to be there?
“I think at the end of the day, everyone wants to see it probably there.
“(The) response from the clubs when we met with the Geelong (League) clubs a few weeks ago was, I think, categorically the players want to play out on GMHBA Stadium, which you can understand.
“I think the netball set-up’s really good for finals, too.
“That lends us to the fact that we want to be there.”
Geelong West has lodged an expression of interest to host the first three weeks of finals, as it did last year.
However, Giants chairperson Scott Meddings would like to see the grand final return to the upgraded venue for the first time since 1998.
And he’s keen to lock it in for an extended period to help West get the Stage Two redevelopment of the facility underway, which includes the removal of the bike track.
“I think it’s also something for AFL Barwon to get behind,” Meddings told K rock Football.
“I’m happy to sign a contract with AFL Barwon to have the next three years of finals and grand final here.
“Hand that contract over to the council, and hopefully that’ll push the money along.
“This is the City of Greater Geelong’s premier facility outside of Kardinia Park.
“This is where the footy should be. They’ve already invested a lot of money in it, so they may as well have the finals and the granny here.”
Slated to host Talent League, VFL/VFLW and AFLW matches in the masterplan developed in 2018, nearly seven years on, it hosts a Talent League double-header involving the Geelong Falcons for the first time this Sunday.
It is yet to see any VFL, VFLW or AFLW action.
Meanwhile, Leopold has put its hand up to host the Bellarine decider at Memorial Park again, while it’s understood Newcomb and Portarlington are also interested.
The Power hosted the 2022 and 2023 deciders, while the Demons have been the ‘go-to’ for the first two weeks of finals in recent years.
President Steve Cogger has confirmed Portarlington is keen to host the entire finals series.
The Demons last hosted the grand final in 1991 when Anglesea defeated Leopold after a mid-week shift from a rain-impacted Drysdale Recreation Reserve.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Michelle Gerdtz
X: @krockfootball
