GEELONG fans will have to get used to GMHBA Stadium from 2018.

The Cats signed a rich, 10-year deal with the local health insurance provider, one that will see a stadium name change after next season.

GMHBA branding will also appear on players’ shorts and home game match balls.It’s the fifth name change since 1999.

“The Cattery” is currently Simonds Stadium but has been known as Skilled Stadium, Shell Stadium and Baytec Stadium in recent years.

In a strange quirk, it was called Baytec Stadium for less than two months - and only one pre-season match - before labour hire company Skilled took over naming rights.

Geelong first sold the naming rights of the stadium to Shell, which held the name from 1999-2001 before an ill-fated deal with Baytec.

Skilled then took over the rights from 2002 until Simonds became the name from late 2011.

Cats captain Joel Selwood spoke at an announcement on Monday, revealing the entire club were still hurting from their shock preliminary final loss to Sydney in September.

“We all felt it, the players, the coaches and even the community,” he said.

“We thought we let each other down [so we’re] trying to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get to work

 

Source:heraldsun.com.au

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