Redeveloped Skilled Stadium Ready for Season Opener

The new Premiership Stand at Geelong's Skilled Stadium is set to open on Sunday with the Cats' AFL clash with Port Adelaide.

Boosting ground capacity to 31,000, the new Populous designed stand caters for 3,551 supporters, and has facilities for a further 800 corporate guests on match days.

As Geelong Chief Executive Brian Cook explains "the Premiership stand is a state of the art facility.

"The supporters will be treated to an outstanding match day experience and first class facilities. The stand also houses our football and administration offices as well as our medical, sports science, player conditioning and gymnasium and meeting facilities."

The second stage redevelopment at the former Kardinia Park has been funded with contributions from the Federal and Victorian Governments, the City of Greater Geelong, the AFL and the Geelong Football Club. Construction of the new stand began in early 2009 following the demolition of the Ross Drew stand.

The Round Four AFL match will coincide with the unveiling of the 2009 premiership flag and the game will be the first on the venueâs re-laid turf.

Reserved seats went on sale in December 2009, and the Premiership stand is expected to be at capacity.

Its opening is also set to coincide with the Cats breaking its membership record with numbers closing in on last year's tally of 37,129.

David Lever, the Cats' General Manager of Commercial Operations David Lever said it would be perfect if the club could break its membership record stating âwe think we're in a reasonably strong position to reach our target of 40,000 members this year."

The Cats have undertaken a feasibility study into a third stage of redevelopment, which would see the city end of the Skilled Stadium overhauled. The goal is be to increase capacity to upwards of 35,000 and to ensure that supporters have the best available facilities to enjoy watching the Cats play.

Prospects for a third stage redevelopment would be boosted by a successful Australian bid for the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.

28th March 2010 - STATE-OF-THE ART ACCESS AT SKILLED