The Bendigo Bank Cats will open their 2015 campaign against the Werribee Tigers under lights at Avalon Airport Oval on Friday 17^th April. 

The battle for the prestigious ‘K-Rock Cup’ between the highway rivals will kick off a four-week road trip for the second tier Cats, who will not play their first match at Simonds Stadium until round 6. The Cats will then play at home in six of the following nine rounds.

The family friendly fixture features seven Saturday matches at Simonds Stadium commencing at either 11.00am or 12.00pm. While the broadcast schedule is yet to be finalised, it is hoped that a number of these matches will be televised live on Channel 7. The 11.00am starts in Rounds 18 and 20 will act as curtain raisers to TAC Cup matches.

The Cats will also be putting the ‘Bendigo’ in ‘Bendigo Bank Cats’ by playing a home match against Collingwood at the picturesque Queen Elizabeth Oval on 9 May. The game will be one of two VFL matches played at the famous regional ground next season.

The team will make a return to traditional suburban grounds Whitten Oval and Windy Hill. Other away venues that will play host to the blue and white hoops include Casey Fields (Cranbourne), Eureka Stadium (Ballarat), Frankston Oval and Trevor Barker Oval (Sandringham).

The 2015 schedule does not include any VFL night matches at Simonds Stadium.  Based on the past two seasons the preferred option for VFL night games would be Friday nights, early or late in season against AFL stand-alone clubs and not following a Sunday AFL or VFL match. Unfortunately none of these elements aligned in the 2015 fixture.

Plans to trial the first ‘encore’ match at Simonds Stadium next year have been shelved. The Cats Vs Dogs ‘reversed curtain raiser’ concept that was proposed during the draft phase has been removed due to a number of logistical issues. 

The VFL Cats will play North Melbourne partially aligned partners North Ballarat and Werribee Tigers on two occasions and also double up against fellow AFL stand alone sides Essendon and Footscray Bulldogs.

All up the VFL Cats play 13 Saturday matches, four on a Sunday and one Friday night fixture. On six occasions the AFL side and VFL play on the same today, including a VFL match at Punt Road Oval against Richmond before the AFL side play the Tigers at the MCG later in the day.

2015 Geelong VFL Fixture:

Round 1 - Friday 17^th April Vs Werribee Tigers 7.30pm @ Avalon Airport Oval

Round 2 - BYE

Round 3 - Saturday 2^nd May Vs Richmond 11.00am @ Punt Road Oval (ME Bank)

Round 4 - Saturday 9^th May Vs Collingwood 6.00pm @ QEO, Bendigo

Round 5 - Saturday 16^th May Vs Footscray Bulldogs 2.00pm @ Whitten Oval

Round 6 - Saturday 23^rd May Vs Port Melbourne 12.00pm @ Simonds Stadium

Round 7 - Saturday 30^th May Vs Williamstown 12.00pm @ Simonds Stadium

Round 8 – Saturday 6^th June Vs Essendon 1.00pm @ Windy Hill

Round 9 – Saturday 13^th June Vs North Ballarat 12.00pm @ Simonds Stadium

Round 10 – Saturday 20^th June Vs Coburg Lions 2.00pm @ Piranha Park (Coburg)

Round 11 – BYE

Round 12 – Saturday 4^th July Vs Casey Scorpions 2.00pm @ Casey Fields

Round 13 – Saturday 11^th July Vs Werribee Tigers 12.00pm @ Simonds Stadium

Round 14 – Sunday 19^th July Vs Footscray Bulldogs 11.30am @ Simonds Stadium

Round 15 – Saturday 25^th July Vs Essendon 11.00am @ Simonds Stadium

Round 16 – Sunday 2^nd August Vs Frankston Dolphins 2.00pm @ Frankston Oval

Round 17 – Sunday 9^th August Vs North Ballarat 1.30pm @ Eureka Stadium

Round 18 – Saturday 15^th August Vs Box Hill Hawks 11.00am @ Simonds Stadium (TAC Cup CR)

Round 19 – Sunday 23^rd August Vs Sandringham 2.00pm @ Trevor Barker Oval

Round 20 – Saturday 29^th August Vs Northern Blues 11.00am @ Simonds Stadium (TAC Cup CR)