Melbourne Cricket Ground

Lore & Background

The MCG is built atop a Wurundjeri camping ground and site of numerous corroborees. The Melbourne Cricket Club selected the current site in 1853 after playing at several earlier grounds. The stadium has hosted two Cricket World Cup finals (1992 and 2015), the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and the first Test match (1877) and first One Day International (1971), both between Australia and England.

In Their Own Story

The winter sun breaks through the Melbourne clouds as the crowd hums with anticipation. A veteran batsman walks out onto the pitch, his boots crunching on the familiar grass. The roar of the MCG rises like a wave, echoing off the grandstands where generations have gathered for this moment.

Reader's Guide

The MCG primarily hosts Australian rules football and cricket, serving as the home ground of multiple AFL teams, the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, and the Victorian cricket team in the Sheffield Shield. It also frequently hosts the Australian national cricket team. The stadium is owned by the Victorian Government through its appointed MCG Trust and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Did You Know?

• The MCG hosted the first Test match in 1877 between Australia and England.
• The first One Day International was played at the MCG in 1971, also between Australia and England.
• The stadium's current capacity is approximately 95,000 seated, with an additional 5,000 standing-room, totaling 100,024.
• The MCG is the host venue of the annual AFL Grand Final and the Boxing Day Test match.