The Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of the world’s greatest sporting stadiums, celebrates its 162nd birthday today.
The home of sport in Australia has hosted renowned international sporting teams, including Liverpool FC, Real Madrid and the ICC Test Cricket World XI.
The communications manager for the Melbourne Cricket Club, Shane Brown, told The Newsroom that the MCG was an iconic venue in Melbourne.
“The MCG was one of the first institutions in Melbourne, and it’s almost as old as the city itself. Along with Flinders Street Station and the State Library, it’s one of the most revered institutions in the state,” he said.
The Newsroom picks 10 great moments in MCG history.
- 1970 VFL Grand Final. Archrivals Carlton and Collingwood faced off in front of a record 121,696 spectators.
- The 2009 AFL Grand Final between Geelong and St Kilda, which was a nail biter from start to finish.
- Australia skittled for 96 in the Boxing Day test in 2013 between Australia and England.
- The 1989 Grand Final between Geelong and Hawthorn, seen as arguably the greatest Grand Final in AFL/VFL history.
- The infamous underarm delivery bowled by Trevor Chappell against New Zealand in 1981, which made Trans-Tasman relations frosty for some time.
- Shane Warne’s 700th test wicket during the 2005/6 Ashes series.
- A young Shane Warne in 1994 achieved the first Ashes hat trick in 90 years.
- The Sound Relief concert in 2009 featured some of Australia’s biggest recording artists.
- Sydney Swans victory in the 2005 AFL Grand Final against West Coast, when a last-minute mark from Sydney’s Leo Barry secured a famous win.
- The 1956 Olympics. The MCG, the main venue for the Games, showed the world why Melbourne could justifiably claim to be the sporting capital of the world. – Jake Benoiton
Top photo taken by Sarah Allen.
About the author
