Located just outside Hobart’s CBD, Blundstone Arena (or Bellerive Oval) has been a second home ground for the Kangaroos since the first AFL games were played there in 2012.
The venue also plays host to a variety of cricket matches during Summer, with the grandstands appropriately honouring the great Ricky Ponting and David Boon.
North Melbourne have played at Blundstone Arena 37 times over the past 12 years, only winning one of their past 11 games at the venue.
For Geelong it is a far shorter history in Hobart, with Saturday’s clash set to be the third trip to the stadium.
The Cats have visited the venue twice in the past three years, playing for the first time in 2021 when they faced North Melbourne in Round 20.
Geelong came away with a 20-point win in a low scoring affair, Cameron Guthrie putting together a best on ground performance with 29 disposals and two goals.
The second trip to Hobart was a far more comprehensive running away with a 60 point win in the early stages of the 2022 season.
Jeremy Cameron booted seven goals from 16 disposals, while Zach Tuohy collected plenty of the footy finishing with 32 possessions.
HOBART, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 24: Tom Atkins of the Cats runs with the ball during the round six AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Geelong Cats at Blundstone Arena on April 24, 2022 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images via AFL Photos)
Tuohy has been the most consistent performer for the Cats at Blundstone Arena, polling Brownlow votes on both occasions in 2021 and 2022.
Geelong’s only other trip to Tasmania came back in 2007, when the Cats took on Hawthorn in Launceston and fell four points short in a nail-biter.
The Cats will be looking to continue to their perfect strike rate at Blundstone Arena, when they take on North Melbourne this Saturday.
