The Cats might not be back at Kardinia Park until mid-next year with builders giving a June finish date for the stadium expansion.
The Herald Sun is reporting the AFL could work with Geelong on a ‘back-ended’ schedule which will see most of it’s nine Geelong-based home games played towards the end of the season.
As it stands the construction works will mean the Cats would have to play in front of a very limited crowd number again to start the season, if it played home games at Kardinia Park, but the redevelopment will see the stadium’s capacity increase to 40,000.
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The potential fixture reshuffle means Geelong’s two home matches it plays at the MCG will likely come before any home at the traditional base, but the Cats say they haven’t decided whether the 2022 premiership flag will be unfurled at their first ‘home’ game (as is tradition) or whether they’ll wait until they return to K-Park.
It’s unlikely Geelong will play a ‘Grand Final rematch’ against Sydney to open the home and away season, with the AFL all but shutting the door on the prospect.
A new-look round one could see Carlton-Collingwood as the regular season-opener.
