Attending the venue as a special guest of Geelong for its first game under lights, Gillard said the night would be a chance for the people of the city to "live in the moment" for the duration of the game after a tough couple of weeks.
"Tonight is a shared sense of excitement and enjoyment for the people of Geelong," Gillard said.
The opening of the Players Stand under lights happened as rain drizzled and politicians and past players gathered to witness a big night for the city.
Gillard said that she had listened to local politicians rave about the lights all day, joking that the claims extended to them being visible from space.
The opening of the stand represented the completion of stage 3 of the ground's redevelopment.
The stage was funded with federal, state, local government and club money.
The Cats will be seeking further funding to complete stages four and five over the next 10 years.
After highlighting the positive impact the stadium would have on the local economy, Geelong president Colin Carter did not miss the opportunity to press claims for its completion in front of numerous politicians attending the pre-game President's function.
"I ask you to note that the job is not yet finished, two thirds of this stadium is up to modern standards while one third is a relic of the 1960s," Carter said. "Our competitor teams all play in modern facilities and we need the same if we are to compete on the national stage."
Carter emphasised that Geelong was the only professional sports club in Australia that invested its own funds into the publicly owned stadium so it was reasonable to ask for continuing support.
After fireworks and the usual formalities, the game against Gold Coast got underway and the era of night football in Geelong had begun.
"[The} city and the wider community have reason to be positive about the future," Carter said.
