GEELONG is poised to host one of the most important game Melbourne Victory has played in years next February.

If, as expected, Victory has to come through a cut-throat playoff match to qualify for next year's Asian Champions League then it will most likely have to do so at Simonds Stadium.

A concert at AAMI Park and an AFL pre-season game at Etihad Stadium have rendered Victory's usual home grounds unavailable for the Saturday, February 15 date making the 33,000-capacity stadium in Geelong the only viable alternative.

Stadium issues cursed Brisbane Roar in the same instance earlier this year.

It had won the rights to host its Champions League qualifying match against Buriram United, but Suncorp Stadium's unavailability combined with the club's A-League fixture meant the match had to be switched to Thailand.

Roar lost the match on penalties and watched on this year as the unheralded Thai club eventually made the quarter finals.

Desperate to retain hosting rights and avoid a similar situation, Victory is happy to entertain the Geelong move and is understood to have already made a tentative booking at the ground.

The club hopes it may still be granted direct entry in to the group stage of the tournament, but will not learn of its fate until the AFC executive committee ratifies the competition format late next month. Victory has qualified for the Champions League three times before, but has never made it to the knockout stages and is desperate to reverse its poor record knowing the potential economic benefits success in the tournament brings.

If it successfully qualifies the three group stage matches at home, to be played between February 25 and April 23, are likely to be at Etihad.

Western Sydney and Central Coast will be Australia's other ACL representatives.