BACK IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

THERE will be no crowds at GMHBA Stadium tonight, but a few drop-punts away in Pakington St, Geelong’s footy’s fabric will start its recovery.

A group of Cats supporters will gather for a feed and a few drinks at a makeshift corporate function inside Billy Brownless’s Cremorne Hotel.

It will feel, in part, like any other week at the footy.

On any normal home match, they would have been in a Kardinia Park function room, overlooking the game, sharing old stories, drinking tap beer and making their observations.

Tonight, that footy spirit will return, those stories will be told, the beer will flow and opinions will fly as the action bounces from the TV screens.

There will be a couple of similar events around the city, arranged by corporate and coterie groups desperate to feel the warmth of a footy crowd again.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook planned to be there but has official business to attend to at GMHBA Stadium tonight.

“There will be club sponsors, corporates, box holders, coteries — people who might want to be with like-minded people and share like-minded interests,” Cook said.

A few weeks ago, he wondered if any of this was even possible, especially so quickly.

With the club fearing a $10 million debt as the coronavirus took hold at a time when there was no clear idea on when footy could return, Cook could barely imagine the club would be training again by June, let alone playing archrival Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium for the first time since 2006.

“I think I was visualising July (return to playing), maybe the end of July, early August, but Australians have done really well as a nation, haven’t we? It’s really good signs,” he said.

Cook remains working from home on the Surf Coast.

Every morning since the lockdown in late March, in the days following the harrowing stand-down of 100 club staff in the most gruelling week of his administrative career, he has headed out at first light with mates for a long swim in the icy cold Torquay waters.

He is targeting 100 consecutive and is closing in on 80. Then he goes to work, dialling into meetings, crunching the numbers and dealing with the various heavy-hitters who will help preserve the club into the future.

One of those is Ford, whose major sponsorship expires this year.

The parties are negotiating a five-year extension, which would take the agreement to the end of 2025 — a century of consecutive partnership. can be recouped by the limited numbers who attend.

It means there is no financial motivation to have crowds in. The club simply wants fans back.

“The business models aren’t convincing from an economic point of view,” Cook said.

“You are doing it (letting crowds in) for other reasons, simply to provide members with their passion and trying to satisfy their passion, because that’s what it’s all about.” There is a lot to consider. Even for a crowd of say 8500 — a quarter of GMHBA Stadium’s capacity — costs quickly accumulate for ground staff, security, ticketing attendants, merchandise areas and hospitality facilities.

Cleaning staff will surely expand and strict protocols will be in place around hygiene and sanitation.

People will need to be temperature-checked, adding a layer of complexity on entry where barcode scanning, bag checks and now wanding is common practice.

How will crowds be separated? Will hot food be allowed to sit under the heater for fans to dive in like normal? Not to mention the toilets.

“If you put all that together, it becomes a really expensive model to run,” Cook said.

“The chances are there will be some games with smaller crowds, but (getting fans back) will not be driven by economics.”

In any instance, there will not be cardboard cutouts sitting in seats at an empty GMHBA Stadium as seen in the NRL.

“I can’t get used to that. It’s been scrapped off my list,” Cook said. focus. All up, the rally, pavers, tin-rattling, fundraising ventures and unique adventures such as a Cats Red pinot shiraz delivered only $250,000, but it stirred emotions and got membership sales going.

Soon after, Target signs appeared behind the goals, before the TV networks complained they blocked the view.

So Cook can see potential green shoots amid this crisis.

He believes clubs, the league and broadcasters will become equally creative.

In Geelong’s advantage, it retains the all revenue and control for signage at GMHBA Stadium and there is no better exposure than tonight’s primetime clash with the Hawks.

He likes the artificial crowd