In the era of modern football, the idea of a team playing a home game in a different state is strange.

But this week’s home game at the SCG for the Cats, won’t be their first. Or even second!

The Cats have played in two ‘home’ games at the SCG and here is how they played out.

Geelong v Carlton – SCG – Round 2 – August 3, 1903

The Cats and Blues played their round 2 clash on August 3, 1903 at the SCG.

The game was originally scheduled for May 9, but a railway strike meant that Carlton was unable to travel to Corio Oval for the game.

The VFL started to work on another date the game could be played at Corio Oval but instead the three parties came together to discuss the option of playing the game as an exhibition at the SCG.

Before their game in Sydney, the Cats and Blues would play at Princess Park in round nine in June with the Blues running out seven-point winners.

Once August came around, the Geelong and Carlton players travelled to Sydney prepared to play on Saturday August 1 but heavy rains pushed the game back to Monday.

A crowd of 6000 came out for the game including the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Harry Rawson.

The Geelong Advertiser’s correspondent at the game reported that ‘Although the ground was heavy from recent rains, the players rose superior to the adverse conditions, and provided a splendid exhibition of brilliant and open football’.

The correspondent went on to say that ‘many of those who were present, who have wedded to the Rugby system of football, openly stated that they preferred the Victorian game’.

Even Sir Rawson was so enamoured that he said it was ‘the finest game he ever saw in his life’ and proceeded to offer up 10 pounds the following year for a competition to be played in Sydney.

The Cats got revenge against the Blues for the round nine loss, running out 10-point winners in a hard fought game.

Geelong v Melbourne – SCG – Round 6 – May 3, 1981

There was much less fanfare for the Cats next home game in Sydney when they took on the Demons in 1981.

The early 80s saw the AFL testing the market ahead of South Melbourne’s relocation to the Harbour City in 1982.

The Cats had a year earlier taken on South Melbourne at the SCG and thrashed them by 63 points.

The Cats would in this game have a similarly comfortable result, defeating the Demons by 49 points in front of just over 11,000 people.

Full forward Terry Bright was dominant with 20 disposals and five goals whilst debutant Leo King impressed with three goals. But perhaps the most notable part of the game was when Melbourne coach Ron Barassi and Dees player Brent Crosswell got in a heated argument at the quarter time huddle resulting in Crosswell storming off the field and not returning until 10 minutes into the second term.