A home for all sports

THE transformation of Geelong’s Kardinia Park Stadium into a world-class home for top-level sport will continue this summer.

Last month we revealed that the ground — now known as GMHBA Stadium — would host Big Bash League cricket reigning premiers Melbourne Renegades for two home games, one either side of the ChristmasNew Year break.

To keep two games despite the Big Bash season being shortened was a major show of confidence from cricket officials in the emerging Geelong venue.

Yesterday, the draw for the coming A-League soccer season landed.

It contains nine national soccer games at the ground this summer.

That’s the same number of home games in Geelong as the Cats have had this AFL season, and will lead to a bumper summer at the stadium, as well as in Geelong more generally.

The soccer games will all be played by A-League newcomer Western United.

There will six games at GMHBA Stadium before the cricket arrives, and three in the new year.

The highlights will be the club’s maiden home game (second of the season) on October 19, and a derby against rival Victorian powerhouse the Melbourne Victory on December 8.

The Geelong stadium might only be a temporary home for Western United — which, in time, plans to build itself a boutique stadium closer to Melbourne — but the draw released yesterday is a coup.

It will put some pressure on the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust’s ground staff, as a motorbike spectacular has already been scheduled between the AFL season and the soccer, while the switching between elite soccer and cricket will also offer some challenges.

But the stadium, and its staff have been building up and preparing for a schedule like this for a number of years now.

It’s what the ground is there for, and why so many taxpayer dollars have been pumped — and are still to be pumped — into it.