GEELONG chief executive Brian Cook has shed further light on stage four of the $91 million transformation of Simonds Stadium, telling The Age’s Caroline Wilson it will secure the club’s future for the next 20 years.
"This is one of the two most important things to happen to Geelong in my time – outside of the premierships," Cook said.
"I've always felt that the most significant development for us was when the Bendigo Bank paved the way for $3 million to pay off $6 million worth of debts. I would say this is equal to that."
Both the Brownlow and Jennings Stands have been demolished as part of the project, with Cats’ players and football staff now working from a temporary facility until the completion of stage four in May 2017.
It will be short-term pain for long-term gain, however, with the football department to increase from 1800 square metres to 4500, complete with an aquatic area, gym, enlarged welfare department, players’ area and a sports medicine centre.
Stage four will also increase the overall capacity of Simonds Stadium from 32,000 to 36,000.
"Commercially, this is a game-changer for us," Cook said.
"In the end, alternative venues were all going to cost us too much."
The Cats have committed $5 million to the $91 million redevelopment, with the Victorian Government allocating $75 million, the AFL $4 million and the City of Greater Geelong $5 million.
Other key points of interest:
- Current Cats’ chairman and former AFL commissioner Colin Carter has signalled his intention to run for a third presidential term at the end of next year.
- The Cats rejected relocating the club’s football department outside Geelong and have instead chosen to build a $20 million football facility at Simonds Stadium – more than doubling the current operation.
- The club appears likely to apply for a women’s AFL licence and has commissioned a Boston Consulting feasibility study to that end, designing hybrid change rooms in the new stand.
- The club is on the verge of securing a second MCG-sized training venue in the greater Geelong area.
- High-level conversations in Canberra last week have set the stage for the funding of the fifth and final stage of the redevelopment, which will enclose the city end of the stadium and life the total attendance capacity to more than 40,000.
