Cattery return hopeful

Priority when gates open to crowds

GEELONG is growing increasingly confident crowds could return to GMHBA Stadium this season, with members to be given priority access to seating at AFL matches if and when that happens.

“We were optimistic crowds might be back this year. We have gone from optimistic to confident now that there will potentially be crowds to some degree later in the season,” Cats chief commercial officer Braith Cox said yesterday.

GEELONG members will be given priority access to seating at AFL matches if and when crowds are allowed to return to venues this year.

The Cats are awaiting advice from government officials about arrangements for supporters attending games, including numbers and seating plans.

Geelong has previously spruiked its wide-ranging benefits package for members who have stuck fat with the club this season, including Cats Shop vouchers, a price freeze for 2021 and free upgrades on next year’s membership.

An honour wall will also be established to recognise those who have remained as members in 2020.

The Cats have become increasingly confident that crowds will be able to return to GMHBA Stadium and other venues in 2020.

Chief commercial officer Braith Cox said regardless of when and under what circumstances that happened, Geelong members would be granted first rights to attend.

“We were optimistic crowds might be back this year. We have gone from optimistic to confident now that there will potentially be crowds to some degree later in the season,” Cox said.

“We are waiting for the Government to guide us on the amount of people and then from there we will look at how we will divide that up among our membership group.

“It will certainly be a members-only platform, there won’t be ticketing, and the AFL has been really clear on that. We are clear on that too; we want to look after our members first.

“Our members have made it really clear they have been very grateful for the benefits of staying with us and, yes, from a material point of view, it is good value. But ultimately what it has done is we have acknowledged our members and how important they are to us.

“Their money is what keeps us going so they have been pleased we have acknowledged their commitment to us.”

Geelong’s official membership tally on its club website sits at 59,011 — below the ambitious target of 70,000 it had aimed for this season, but a strong figure nonetheless given there has been no football since March.

In a positive sign for the Cats, more than 250 new members have signed with the club since the AFL competition was suspended after Round 1.

The strong show of support from the 267 supporters not previously committed financially to the club in 2020 comes as Geelong revealed its membership numbers were now on par with pre-COVID levels.

The deals for existing members will also be extended to new members who sign with the Cats by the end of this month, with Cox saying the club had been blown away by the show of support from its fans.

“We are still getting new members sign up, which is fantastic, and we welcome those calls because our membership team are having some very difficult conversations with members who are going through hardship,” he said.

“We will support our members who are going through those situations, but it has been a warm welcome to get new members on board or to have people phoning up to renew and support the footy club.

“We are still tracking really well with refunds, so that is a really good sign of our members’ loyalty through what has been a very difficult time.

“When people are phoning up, they are not taking up social club memberships or reserved seats, they are GA memberships and so the money difference is not quite there. But from a total membership number, about what we have lost is what we have gained.”