Geelong coach Chris Scott has expressed his frustration and bemusement at the Cats' AFL blockbuster being capped at 7,000 people, given there have been no COVID-19 cases in the region this year.
The easing of some coronavirus restrictions in Victoria will allow a limited crowd to attend Geelong's top-four showdown against the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night.
But the club could still lose money by hosting the game with the ground at just 20 per cent capacity.
Geelong chief executive Brian Cook on Tuesday estimated they would lose up to $900,000 by having no crowd and believed only at 50 per cent full could the Cats host a profitable event.
Scott said the Cats would take the "small wins" but was puzzled by the crowd cap when the Geelong region has been unaffected by cases during Victoria's latest COVID-19 outbreak.
"It's incredibly disappointing we can't get more people here given the environment we find ourselves in regional Victoria," Scott said.
"It's obviously going to be a challenge for the club, and a lot of clubs are in that position at the moment where we fought through 18 months of this and it's been a huge financial burden.
"For them to endure even more through what feel like is the final throes of the pandemic is a challenge but one we have no choice but to accept.
"The positive is we're getting 7000 supporters at the game.
"In regional Victoria the world's been relatively open for a period of time, it's certainly different in Melbourne."
Scott claimed the Cats had no say in whether the game stayed in Geelong or was moved interstate where a bigger crowd could attend.
"I think it's very nice of the AFL to say that they consulted closely with us but that's not my understanding. It's not a whack at the AFL by the way," Scott said.
