GEELONG has all but given up on its effort to entice the Western Bulldogs to play a home game or two at Simonds Stadium.
Cats chief executive Brian Cook told the club's annual general meeting that the AFL was not a fan of such a move because it does not want to reduce the number of matches at Etihad Stadium.
The League will assume ownership of Etihad Stadium in 2025, although Cook is of the belief that it still wants to buy the stadium before then.
"The AFL aren't keen at this stage, and they are totally in charge of the fixture," Cook said.
The Cats have spoken to the Bulldogs on a number of occasions about playing home games at Simonds Stadium.
In the discussions, Cook has promoted the fact that the Dogs could make vastly more money out of such matches when compared to hosting games at Etihad Stadium.
Addressing a passionate gathering of his club's members at Wednesday night's AGM, Cook said his dream was for the Bulldogs to host a home game against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.
Such a fixture would net the Dogs around $750,000.
But it won't be happening without the AFL's support, and Cook won't be badgering the League on the matter.
"You pick your battles, and this is not one we are going to pick," he said.
Interestingly, the AFL has scheduled the Bulldogs to play St Kilda in a NAB Challenge match at Simonds Stadium on February 19.
"The reason they've been fixture down here in the pre-season is because of the lack of other surfaces that are available," Cook explained.
"That's pretty much it. Don't read anything else into it.
"But it's good. It gives us extra events."
The Dogs' new VFL team, which has been branded the Footscray Bulldogs, is also playing two home matches at Simonds Stadium in 2014.
The Dogs' and Cats' VFL teams will also meet in a Geelong home game at the venue, which is a curtain-raiser to an AFL fixture between the clubs.
