We are Geelong: K rock delivers amazing Grand Final Week triple treat

Geelong is something of a paradox. It’s a city, with the vibe of a country town. A country town that just happens to have its own AFL team.

And as anyone who’s ever worked at Geelong’s local radio stations K rock or bay 93.9 will tell you, there’s nothing – absolutely NOTHING – like the community spirit you see and feel when the Cats are in the Grand Final, as they are this week.

As ‘Go Cats’ signs pop up all over town and local bakeries break out the blue and white donuts, Head of K rock Football Tom ‘Kingy’ King tells Radio Today “It’s unique to the AFL. Nobody else has what Geelong has. Being a big regional centre, that ‘one team, one town’ mentality really shines through.”

But this week sees a truly remarkable feat, with the K rock Football team preparing for a massive three days – broadcasting not one but THREE locally-specific games of footy – including Saturday’s Grand Final – all within a 48-hour window.

Its coverage gets underway Thursday night, with the AFLW clash between Geelong and Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium, the match to be broadcast live from 6.30 on krockfootball.live and the AFL app, with Kingy, former Cat Richelle ‘Rocky’ Cranston and another local footy favourite in Jane Burch spearheading the on-air line up.

The following day, K rock 95.5 will broadcast the Geelong Football Netball League (GFNL) senior Grand Final between St Joseph’s and St Mary’s, with a commentary team headed up by Kingy, Burch, Jason Doherty, Matt Kershaw and Josh Conway.

“That’s probably the biggest rivalry in local football in our neck of the woods,” says Kingy.

On Saturday, of course, it’s the AFL decider between the Cats and the Lions at the MCG.

“Obviously the pinnacle for K rock Footy is Geelong being in a Grand Final. We’ll probably pull stumps at 7 o’clock, depending on the result. We’ll go longer if the Cats win,” says Kingy.

Then he laughs as he adds “If the Cats lose, it might be cut short!”

The on air line up at the MCG will be Kingy, Doherty, Ben Casanelia, Mark Neeld and Ian Cover from the Coodabeen Champions, the day made all the more special by the fact that Casanelia will be covering his 20^th AFL Grand Final.

With an open training session and the Grand Final Parade also happening in the lead up, Kingy is a huge rap for the K rock-bay 93.9 newsroom and its proudly local coverage.

He says they’re indeed fortunate to have experienced journalist Nikole Gunn on the team.

“We’re going to be tapping into all Gunners’ experience for covering stuff like that, which is really cool.”

“We’ve also got A J Johnston and Ayva Jones in the newsroom, who are lapping up their first Geelong Grand Final week as journalists with the stations.”

Kingy says the ongoing support of Grant Broadcasters and the Cameron family makes its Grand Final Week coverage possible.

Suffice to say, everybody is up and about.

“It’s good for the town,” says Kingy. “Financially, it’s great. People seem to spend money. The pubs and restaurants will be full across the weekend.”

“There are signs along the roadside. I live out on the Bellarine Peninsula, and driving into town, properties at Moolap and places like that have got the ‘Go Cats’ signs up.”

“Even just to be playing in the Grand Final is a massive feat.”

*Images: K rock and Instagram