FAMILY REUNION

HUB OF LOVE: Geelong group to grow by 30 as families join Queensland camp

GEELONG will be greeted by a sea of friendly faces when it lands in Queensland, with up to 30 loved ones to join the club in its new hub.

The Cats currently have 79 people in its Perth base after Gary Ablett left the group to return home to his family.

All players and staff were given the option to bring their families with them, first to Sydney and then to Perth, and only Sam Menegola, Rhys Stanley and Harry Taylor took up the offer.

Fathers such as Tom Hawkins, Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Rohan and Mitch Duncan will have the chance to be reunited with their partners and children when they arrive in Queensland.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said the new base would be full of families.

“We have at this stage in terms of partners and children I think about 25 to 30 coming up (to Queensland) so that is going to help out a lot,” he told the club podcast. “Having said that, being away for something like 10 to 11 weeks is just a tough ask.

“We never expected this and I don’t think anyone rehearsed this in any way or got ready for it or prepared for this type of length of isolation.”

Geelong was handed a tough draw for its arrival in Queensland.

After facing West Coast Eagles in Perth on August 1, the Cats will fly east and fit in games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and St Kilda by August 14.

The club has been adamant it would do whatever it takes to keep the AFL season afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

While Cook said the draw – which features three sides currently inside the top eight – was difficult, the players would be up to the task.

“We thought it was a pretty tough draw for us, particularly with four games in 14 days, but we have to do our bit,” he said.

“It’s a really intriguing season, it’s a season where we just have to finish it off.

“The players understand that they play an important role in the survival of the industry right now.

“There is a lot riding on the back of the players and they have been outstanding through all of this but it is a tough draw for us, as it is for most clubs.”

Cook is with the club in Perth. He said Ablett had been adamant his career wasn’t over when he left the hub, and that he wanted to return to play in Queensland.

The Cats are still working with the AFL and the Queensland government to plan the veteran’s return to the team.