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Melbourne Cricket Ground

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The Melbourne Cricket Ground is a famous place for sports.

Melbourne Cricket Ground from city
Melbourne Cricket Ground from city

Local people call it the 'G'. It is located in Yarra Park in Melbourne, Australia. It is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also the eleventh-largest stadium in the whole world. This huge venue is the second-largest cricket stadium by capacity.

MCG 2022 AFL Grand Final
MCG 2022 AFL Grand Final

Many people visit to watch games or see concerts. A record crowd of 143,750 people attended a Billy Graham event in 1959.

People use the large grass field for many different things.

The field size changes depending on the sport being played. For AFL, the area is 160 metres by 141 metres. For cricket, it is 172.9 metres by 147.8 metres. Many teams call this ground their home. These include the Melbourne Stars and the Melbourne Storm.

It even hosts American football for the Los Angeles Rams starting in 2026. The stadium can hold 100,024 people in total.

The ground has a very long and interesting history.

Aboriginal cricket team at MCG in 1867
Aboriginal cricket team at MCG in 1867

The land was once a camping ground for the Wurundjeri people. The Melbourne Cricket Club chose this site in 1853. Before this, the club played at many different locations. They once played at the Old Mint site. They also played at Burial Hill, which is now Flagstaff Gardens.

MCG-1864
MCG-1864

The club moved several times due to flooding and new railways. They finally settled in Yarra Park because the ground was level enough for cricket.

Many important sporting moments happened at the MCG.

Mcg 1878
Mcg 1878

It was the main stadium for the 1956 Summer Olympics. It also hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The ground is very important for international cricket history. The first Test match was played here in 1877.

Cricket World Cup Final (16351625604)
Cricket World Cup Final (16351625604)

The first One Day International was played here in 1971. It also hosted the Cricket World Cup finals in 1992 and 2015. These events show how much the stadium has grown over time.

Today, the MCG is a major part of Melbourne life.

CG-MelbCricketGround-Pano
CG-MelbCricketGround-Pano

It is easy to reach using public transport. You can take a train to Richmond or Jolimont stations. You can also use the 70, 75, or 48 trams. The stadium is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct. It is even listed on the Australian National Heritage List.

MCG stands
MCG stands

This shows that the ground is a special landmark for the whole country.

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🖼️ Images & Media (28)
File:MelbourneCricketGroundPitchDimensions.svg
MelbourneCricketGroundPitchDimensions.svg
File:Aboriginal cricket team at MCG in 1867.jpg
Aboriginal cricket team at MCG in 1867.jpg
File:MCG grandstand.jpg
MCG grandstand.jpg
File:MCG 1914.jpg
MCG 1914.jpg
File:MCG99.jpg
MCG99.jpg
File:New Ponsford Stand Construction.jpg
New Ponsford Stand Construction.jpg
File:Melbourne Cricket Club Member's Reserve Dec 2022.jpg
Melbourne Cricket Club Member's Reserve...
File:MCG-1864.JPG
MCG-1864.JPG
File:Mcg 1878.jpg
Mcg 1878.jpg
File:MCG stands.jpg
MCG stands.jpg
File:Cricket World Cup Final (16351625604).jpg
Cricket World Cup Final (16351625604).jpg
File:Football electric lighting MCG 1879.jpg
Football electric lighting MCG 1879.jpg

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