Melbourne is Australia’s sporting capital. A tour of the MCG is a highlight for many families. If you’re planning a trip to Melbourne soon, here are a bunch of MCG facts to get you prepared for Melbourne’s most hallowed ground.
The MCG is one of Australia’s most loved buildings. Picture: Shutterstock
MCG facts
Locals call the MCG “the G”.
MCG stands for Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Outside the grounds you will find statues of Don Bradman, Dennis Lillee, Dick Reynolds, Leigh Mathews and Ron Barassi.
The statue that has three men is of cricketer and Australian rules football pioneer Tom Wills umpiring an 1858 football match.
The MCG is the 10th-largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, the largest cricket ground by capacity.
It is listed on the Victorian Heritage register.
The lights at the MCG are the tallest of any sporting venue.
Collingwood vs St Kilda AFL Grand Final at the MCG – September 25, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. Picture: Shutterstock
The MCG was the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
But it’s most well known for AFL and cricket. The MCG holds the record for the biggest VFL/AFL crowd (121,696).
The MCG holds the record for the biggest crowd for a cricket match – 93,013 at the 2015 World Cup Final.
The largest crowd for a single day of Test cricket (91,112) was also at the MCG.
The MCG was established in 1853, less than 20 years after the founding of Melbourne. Australian football started at the MCG in 1859.
The MCG was the birthplace of Test cricket (1877) and of one-day international cricket started (1971).
Other sports held at the MCG include World Cup soccer qualifiers, rugby league including the State of Origin, international rugby union and Austral Wheel Races.
The statues outside the MCG. Picture: Shutterstock
It doesn’t just host sport. The MCG has hosted Papal visits and Royal tour visits.
The MCG housed US Marines, the US Army airforces and the RAAF during World War II.
The MCG is carbon neutral – it offsets emissions.
The MCG is also home to the National Sports Museum.
The National Sports Museum at the MCG houses Australia’s largest collection of sporting memorabilia. It has fantastic interactive zones, 3D holograms, and collector’s items from the Olympics, AFL, cricket and horse racing.
The MCG has 62,653 full members and 41,332 Restricted members.
2718 of the MCG full members are 50-year-old men
Females comprise 22 per cent of the membership.
The MCG is run by a trust. The first chairman of the trust was the first Premier of Victoria, William Haines.
Where is the MCG?
The MCG is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Melbourne. It is across the train tracks from the Melbourne Tennis centre.
Enough MCG facts! What else can you do in Melbourne? Read more here:
Top weekend getaways from Melbourne
The best campsites near Melbourne for families
What to do for free in Melbourne: A Kids View
The best cities for sport-mad kids
Plan your trip: school holidays 2019 and 2020
Travel allows you to get outside your bubble. It makes you realise there are other ways to do things, and that’s OK. Plus, I am a huge fan of skiing and for the best powder – you need to head overseas.