by Jordan Sennett Perez
2007 was the year that Geelong became the powerhouse that they are known as today. After years of underachieving failing to become that powerful team that they always threatened to be they finally turned it around by not only having developed an ominous high attacking game style that wielded three premierships in five years, but they made their home ground Kardinia Park (it has had many different names over the years) the unbreakable fortress that many a team have now come to fear when they play there. In modern day football, every little bit counts, and the Cats have known that better than most teams. We all talk about fortresses when dominant teams seem even more powerful and even invincible on their home decks, but no team has ever had as pronounced a home ground advantage as Geelong has had at Kardinia Park. Footy pundits and critics have long since given up quoting the numbers, they’ve just accepted the fact that it’s near on impossible to win there.
Before Geelong turned there fortunes around some 14 years ago, they famously lost a match to North Melbourne at Kardinia Park in what became the “line in the sand” moment for them. Not only was the playing group called into question but the club as a whole, culture administration, coaches all of it. They then destroyed an abysmal Richmond by 157 points at the Telstra Dome (now called Marvel Stadium) and from then have never ever looked back. As mentioned above, since then Geelong entered a golden era yielding three flags, playing in 5 grand finals and further 10 preliminary finals which is incredibly impressive. None of those games have been played at their home ground which is affectionately called “The Cattery” but it sure has played a major part in the club’s consistent dominance over the competition. Since that loss to the Kangaroos in 2007 and as of the 2021 season, Geelong has played a total of 108 games at Kardinia Park. They’ve won an astonishing 97 of those, 97! Only 11 losses which is incredible, and their winning strike rate is 89.9%. The sheer key factors in the dominance that Geelong has there are teams that have relative unfamiliarity in which no visiting team ever playing there more than once per season and some of the bigger drawing Victorian clubs such as Hawthorn, Carlton and Richmond only playing there very occasionally, like once or twice in 12 years. The unique dimensions of the ground in my opinion play the biggest part.
Kardinia Park is only just the longest ground of any of the current AFL stadiums at 167 metres only a metre longer than Adelaide Oval, two metres more than Optus Stadium in Perth and five metres more than the MCG. It is significantly narrower than any of the other grounds however which is the most unique aspect of the grounds landscape. At just a measly 112 metres wing-to-wing, it is 27 metres skinnier than the MCG and that near 30 metres difference to the MCG is as good as one less kick for sides trying to switch the play side to side and make the ground bigger. It’s no wonder teams have struggled and often have found themselves kicking the ball out on the full more than usual when they play at the cat’s home ground. It’s also Geelong’s incredible defensive qualities that really shine through effectively smothering the opposition into turning it over and having all defensive lines covered effectively roadblocking half the ground. Considering how many teams have struggled there over the years, there are a few sides that boast somewhat of a half decent record there in recent times. Sydney has taken the cat scalp there 4 times in the last few years and had a 3-game winning streak there and Fremantle famously beat the cats in the first and only to date final played at the ground, the 2013 qualifying final, the dockers also beat them there again in 2015. For every other team it is the dreaded travel across there to face impending death. Of the 97 wins, 31 of those has been by a minimum of 10 goals and a further 8 has been by 100 points or more. Now that is some sort of dominance and it doesn’t look like diminishing any time soon.
