MCG not on, says Carter

GEELONG president Colin Carter has described discussion surrounding a potential move of the club’s blockbuster home clash against Richmond as “nonsense”.

The full house sign is expected to be put out at Simonds Stadium next Saturday afternoon, with the match likely to determine the shape of the top four come the end of the season.

It prompted calls for the game to be moved to the MCG to allow more fans in.

Geelong has been steadfast in its view that it would never allow the game to be shifted and has publicly pushed for even more games at Simonds Stadium in 2018.

“We had to waste a bit of time over the last week or so, pouring cold water on suggestions that our game against Richmond next week should be moved to the MCG to accommodate a larger crowd,” Carter said in his president’s dinner speech last night.

“There is no competition in the world where clubs lose their home games to the stadiums of a competitor in order to attract a bigger crowd.

“It has never even happened in over 100 years of VFL history. Was, for example, a Collingwood home game ever transferred from Victoria Park to the MCG to attract a bigger crowd? It is a complete nonsense.

“And on this issue we will be fighting very hard to attract more home games next year to this stadium.”

MEANWHILE, Carter backed the club’s decision not to appeal the one-match ban handed to Patrick Dangerfield for his tackle on Matthew Kreuzer.