Australian Football League side Geelong Cats estimated the final stage of the GMHBA Stadium redevelopment will cost A$100M ($77.3M) and remains "hopeful" construction could start at the end of '18, according to Peter Ryan of THE AGE. The Cats opened the Brownlow Stand during '17 and "successfully lobbied" for nine games to be played at GMHBA Stadium in '18, with the Cats playing two home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Geelong CEO Brian Cook emphasized that the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust rather than the club was "responsible for developing a business case to support the stage five expansion," which will have a "heavy concentration" on administration and facilities for cricket. Cook: "That business case will be going to government in the next four weeks and we're hoping that it will receive a positive answer from the State Government after that point in time." Geelong has about 4,000 more members than it did at Christmas last season and has "an aim to attract 60,000 members" in '18, with the stadium "expected to have a capacity of 40,000 once stage five is completed" (THE AGE, 12/25).
