Cats eye crowd record

GEELONG has set itself the target of breaking a 34-year-old record in its opening-round clash with Collingwood.

The Cats have never been the ‘home’ team in a regular season game attended by 90,000 people, with the current high mark of 87,653 set at the MCG against Essendon on Queen’s Birthday in 1989.

However, the reigning premier is confident it can enter rare home-and-away territory, with the 90,000 mark only topped 14 times in VFL/AFL history.

“It’s unbelievable to have an opponent like Collingwood first-up,” Geelong CEO Steve Hocking told K rock’s Tim & Jess.

“You think back to the qualifying final … there’s quite a bit of competitiveness between the two sides – we also like the way they play.

“We’re really excited; we’re pushing for (a crowd of) 90,000,”

“We’d really encourage all our supporters, particularly through Melbourne, but Geelong as well, to get up the road and be part of it.

“Be live and experience (the game) … you can’t sit in front of the TV and have that live experience.”

Image: Geelong is hoping for a record home crowd in Round 1. (Sports Media Image/Marcel Berens)