August 14, 2026
Dad and daughter cheer on the Cats
(Ivan Kemp)
Rain fell throughout most of Geelong’s game against Essendon at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday 8 August, but it didn’t deter 33,379 fans from attending. The Cats booted the first 10 goals of the game before the Bombers improved in the second half although not by enough to prevent a 67-point win to the home side. Pictured are Matt Jelley with his daughter Melody before the game and they would have been just as happy with the result afterwards. Geelong faces North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium this Saturday and returns to Kardinia Park to finish off the home and away season against Richmond on Saturday 22 August at 7.45pm. The Cats are locked in a battle to finish in the AFL top six, which would avoid the wildcard round. They are still a chance at a top four spot, but would need other results to go their way. For more pictures, see page 19.
Big market push By Matt Hewson Geelong’s new weekly market has been an unbridled success, but the team behind it are not done yet. Barwon Events founders Simon Toohey and Kieran Blood have established Geelong City Market as a weekly fi xture, drawing more than 6000 people each week and sparking $8.3 million in economic activity over the past seven months. But the weekly market is just the beginning. Th is week the pair announced their intention to create a permanent Geelong market space, comparable to the South Melbourne Market, in or close to, the city centre. Mr Toohey said the region had a “huge availability of produce” that could support
a year-round market to open for up to four days a week, offering regional producers an option between the occasional farmers’ market and opening a traditional storefront. “We have lobsters down the Great Ocean Road, some of the best mussels… dairy, cattle, lamb, goat, amazing wild meats and we have vegetable producers and growers…we have it all,” he said. “We have a vision where 60 per cent of the produce is from Geelong and the Bellarine and nearby regions, 20 per cent from within Australia and 20 per cent international. “We want ‘local’ as the number one drawcard, but also to be a place where people can do their weekly shop. You want to cover all bases.”
Their vision is backed by extensive research and analysis, including an independent study outlining a five-year pathway to the market’s realisation. “Th is is no longer just an idea sketched on the back of a napkin,” Mr Toohey said. “We have spent more than 18 months asking the hard questions, speaking with producers and industry, studying the best markets in Australia and around the world, testing the economics and looking honestly at what Geelong needs. “(Th is) could change the way our city buys food, supports local producers and welcomes visitors.” The key to success is a hybrid model, combining the fresh food market with a dining and hospitality precinct – predominantly supplied by the
marketplace – as well as entertainment and education spaces. In addition to delivering significant economic rewards, Mr Toohey said the market could offer huge community and sustainability benefits to Geelong. “We’re working day and night to make this a reality,” he said. “Whether it’s water, solar, food waste, compost, we want to be carbon-conscious, carbon-neutral if possible. We’re talking to the council about funding, talking to private investors, looking at grant opportunities and taking whatever positive movements toward a permanent market that suits our ethos. “Financially, we’re open to options. We see it being very lucrative and we’ve got the data to back that up.”
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