View source for Melbourne Cricket Ground

{{Short description|Stadium in Melbourne, Australia}}
{{redirect|MCG}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Melbourne Cricket Ground
| nickname = MCG, the 'G
| logo_image = Melbourne Cricket Ground logo.png
| logo_size = 170px
| image = 2017 AFL Grand Final panorama during national anthem.jpg
| caption = Panorama of the MCG before<br/>the [[2017 AFL Grand Final]]
| address = 120 Brunton Avenue
| location = [[East Melbourne, Victoria]], Australia
| coordinates = {{Coord|37|49|12|S|144|59|0|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| opened = {{start date and age|1853}}
| renovated = 1992 (Southern Stand redevelopment)<br/>2006 (Northern Stand redevelopment)<br/>2032 (Proposed Shane Warne Stand redevelopment)
| construction_cost = An estimated $725<br/>million AUD (excluding the original 1853 construction)
| owner = [[Victoria State Government]]
| operator = [[Melbourne Cricket Club|Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC)]]
| surface = Grass
| suites = 109
| capacity = 100,024<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 February 2021 |title=Biggest Stadiums in The World By Capacity |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/50-largest-stadiums-in-the-world.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616130155/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/50-largest-stadiums-in-the-world.html |archive-date=16 June 2018 |access-date=16 June 2018}}</ref> (95,000 seats + 5,000 standing room)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ticket Information |url=https://www.mcg.org.au/the-stadium/ticket-information |access-date=28 February 2024 |website=MCG}}</ref>
| publictransit = {{rint|Melbourne|met train}} {{rint|Melbourne|reg train}} {{rint|Melbourne|tram}} {{rint|Melbourne|met bus}} [[Richmond_railway_station,_Melbourne|Richmond]]<br />{{rint|Melbourne|met train}} {{rint|Melbourne|tram}} [[Jolimont railway station|Jolimont]]
| record_attendance = {{Plainlist|
* 109,500 – [[Ed Sheeran]] [[+–=÷× Tour]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Ed Sheeran Breaks Multiple Australian Records with MCG Concerts |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/ed-sheeran-australian-records-mcg-concerts-1235280918 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>
* 143,000 – [[Billy Graham]] Crusade (pre-configuration)
}}
| dimensions = 174 metres x 149 metres (general)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/mcg |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=Austadiums}}</ref><br/>160 metres x 141 metres (AFL)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Cody |last2=Lawson |first2=Sean |date=15 June 2022 |title=From the SCG to Kardinia Park — do ground sizes contribute to the end result in AFL games? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-16/cody-and-sean-afl-analysis-how-much-do-ground-sizes-matter/101154950 |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=MCG |url=https://www.afl.com.au/venues/13 |access-date=19 February 2024 |publisher=Australian Football League}}</ref><br/>172.9 metres x 147.8 metres (cricket)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricket-grounds/melbourne-cricket-ground-56441 |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>
| tenants = ; [[Australian Football League|Australian Football League (AFL)]]
[[Melbourne Football Club]] (1858–present)<br/>[[Richmond Football Club]] (1965–present)<br/>[[Collingwood Football Club]] (1993–present)<br/>[[Essendon Football Club]] (1991–present)<br/>[[Hawthorn Football Club]] (2000–present)<br/>[[Carlton Football Club]] (2005–present)<br/>[[North Melbourne Football Club]] (1985–2005)<br/>[[Melbourne University Football Club]] (1911-1914)
; Cricket
[[Australian cricket team]] (1877–present)<br/>[[Victoria cricket team]] (1851–present)<br/>[[Melbourne Stars]] (2011–present)
; [[National Rugby League|National Rugby League (NRL)]]
[[Melbourne Storm]] (2000)
; Soccer
[[Australia men's national soccer team]] (selected matches)<br/>[[Australia women's national soccer team]] (selected matches)<br/>[[Melbourne Victory]] (international friendly matches)
; [[American football]]
[[Los Angeles Rams]] (2026-onwards){{Unbulleted list|item1_style=background-color:#ccc;|'''Major Events'''| [[1956 Summer Olympics]]<br/>[[1988 Women's Cricket World Cup]]<br/>[[1992 Cricket World Cup]]<br/>[[Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]<br/>[[2006 Commonwealth Games]]<br/>[[2015 Cricket World Cup]]<br/>[[State of Origin series]] 1994, 1995, 1997, 2015, 2018, 2024<br/>[[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]]<br/>[[2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup]]<br/>[[Boxing Day Test]]<br/>[[FIFA World Cup qualification]]}}
{{collapsed infobox section begin|Cricket details|td=yes}}
{{infobox cricket ground|embed=yes
| country              = [[Australia]]
| end1                 = West: City End (AFL);<ref name="map">{{Cite web |title=MCG Reserved Seating Map - Richmond |url=https://membership.richmondfc.com.au/pdf/mcg-map |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926131126/https://membership.richmondfc.com.au/pdf/mcg-map |archive-date=26 September 2018 |access-date=14 December 2018 |website=membership.richmondfc.com.au}}</ref><br/>North: Members End (Cricket)<br/>[[File:MelbourneCricketGroundPitchDimensions.svg|200px]]
| end2                = South: Shane Warne Stand End (Cricket);<br/>East: Punt Road End<ref name="map" /> (AFL)
| international       = yes
| firsttestdate       = 15–19 March
| firsttestyear       = 1877
| firsttesthome       = Australia
| firsttestaway       = England
| lasttestdate        = 26–29 December
| lasttestyear        = 2024
| lasttesthome        = Australia
| lasttestaway        = India 
| firstodidate        = 5 January
| firstodiyear        = 1971
| firstodihome        = Australia
| firstodiaway        = England
| lastodidate         = 4 November
| lastodiyear         = 2024
| lastodihome         = Australia
| lastodiaway         = Pakistan
| firstt20idate       = 1 February
| firstt20iyear       = 2008
| firstt20ihome       = Australia
| firstt20iaway       = India
| lastt20idate        = 31 October
| lastt20iyear        = 2025
| lastt20ihome        = Australia
| lastt20iaway        = India
| firstwtestdate      = 18–20 January
| firstwtestyear      = 1935
| firstwtesthome      = Australia
| firstwtestaway      = England
| lastwtestdate       = 28–31 January
| lastwtestyear       = 1949
| lastwtesthome       = Australia
| lastwtestaway       = England
| firstwodidate       = 18 December
| firstwodiyear       = 1988
| firstwodihome       = Australia
| firstwodiaway       = England
| lastwodidate        = 23 January
| lastwodiyear        = 2014
| lastwodihome        = Australia
| lastwodiaway        = England
| firstwt20idate      = 1 February
| firstwt20iyear      = 2008
| firstwt20ihome      = Australia
| firstwt20iaway      = England
| lastwt20idate       = 8 March
| lastwt20iyear       = 2020
| lastwt20ihome       = Australia
| lastwt20iaway       = India
| date                = 2 February
| year                = 2024
| source              = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ground/56441.html Cricinfo
}}
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
{{collapsed infobox section begin|Heritage listing details}}
{{Infobox designation list
| embed                   = yes
| designation1            = ANHL
| designation1_date       = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2005|12|26}}
| designation1_type       = Historic
| designation1_criteria   = a, g, h
| designation1_number     = {{ANHL|105885}}
| designation2            = VICHR
| designation2_offname    = Melbourne Cricket Ground
| designation2_type       = State Registered Place
| designation2_criteria   = a, b, c, e, f, g
| designation2_date       = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2001|04|19}}
| designation2_number     = H1928<ref name="heritage">{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/1538 |access-date=25 November 2023 |website=[[Victorian Heritage Register|Victorian Heritage Database]] |publisher=[[Government of Victoria]]}}</ref>
| designation2_free1name  = Heritage Overlay number
| designation2_free1value = HO890<ref name=heritage/>
}}
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
| website = {{url|mcg.org.au}}
}}

The  '''Melbourne Cricket Ground''' ('''MCG'''), also known locally as '''the 'G''',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chappell |first=Ian |date=26 December 2010 |title=Heroes wanted: Apply at the 'G |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad-application/heroes-wanted-apply-at-the-g/story-fn6bn647-1225975914380 |access-date=29 December 2010 |work=[[Herald Sun]]}}</ref> is a sports stadium located in [[Yarra Park]], Melbourne, Victoria.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Chris |date=24 November 2009 |title=The 10 largest football stadiums in the world |url=http://soccerlens.com/largest-football-stadiums/36427/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126003534/http://soccerlens.com/largest-football-stadiums/36427/ |archive-date=26 November 2009 |access-date=24 November 2009 |website=soccerlens.com |publisher=Sports Lens}}</ref> Founded and managed by the [[Melbourne Cricket Club]], it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the [[List of stadiums by capacity|eleventh-largest stadium globally]] and [[List of cricket grounds by capacity|the second-largest cricket stadium by capacity]]. The MCG is within walking distance of the [[Melbourne City Centre|Melbourne CBD]] and is served by [[Richmond railway station, Melbourne|Richmond]] and [[Jolimont railway station|Jolimont]] railway stations, as well as the [[Melbourne tram route 70|route 70]], [[Melbourne tram route 75|75]] and [[Melbourne tram route 48|48]] trams. It is adjacent to [[Melbourne Park]] and is an integral part of the [[Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/mcg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422220142/https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/mcg |archive-date=22 April 2022 |access-date=21 April 2022}}</ref>

Since it was built in 1853, the MCG has undergone numerous renovations. It served as the main stadium for the [[1956 Summer Olympics]] and the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]], as well as hosting two [[Cricket World Cup]] [[List of Cricket World Cup finals|finals]]: [[1992 Cricket World Cup final|1992]] and [[2015 Cricket World Cup final|2015]]. Noted for its role in the development of international cricket, the MCG hosted both the first [[Test cricket|Test]] match and the first [[One Day International]], played between [[Australia cricket team|Australia]] and [[England cricket team|England]] in 1877 and 1971, respectively. It has also maintained strong ties with [[Australian rules football]] since its codification in 1859, and has become the principal venue for [[Australian Football League]] (AFL) matches, including the [[AFL Grand Final]], the [[List of sports attendance figures|world's highest attended league championship event]].

Home to the [[Australian Sports Museum]], the MCG has hosted other major sporting events, including [[international rules football]] matches between [[Australia international rules football team|Australia]] and [[Ireland international rules football team|Ireland]], international [[rugby union]] matches, [[State of Origin series|State of Origin]] ([[rugby league]]) games, and [[FIFA World Cup qualification|FIFA World Cup qualifiers]]. Concerts and other cultural events are also held at the venue with the record attendance standing at 143,750 for a [[Billy Graham (evangelist)|Billy Graham]] [[Billy Graham's 1959 South Cross Crusades|evangelistic crusade]] in 1959. Grandstand redevelopments and [[occupational health and safety]] legislation have limited the maximum seating capacity to approximately 95,000 with an additional 5,000 standing room capacity, bringing the total capacity to 100,024.

The MCG is listed on the [[Victorian Heritage Register]]<ref>{{cite VHD|1538|Melbourne Cricket Ground|hr=1928|ho=890}}</ref> and was included on the [[Australian National Heritage List]] in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Department of the Environment and Energy |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511213226/http://environment.gov.au/ |archive-date=11 May 2019 |access-date=14 December 2018 |website=Department of the Environment and Energy}}</ref> In 2003, journalist [[Greg Baum]] called it "a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem" that "symbolises Melbourne to the world".<ref>[[Greg Baum|Baum, Greg]] (24 September 2003). [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/23/1064082993440.html "MCG voted as one of the seven wonders of the sporting world"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101045944/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/23/1064082993440.html |date=1 November 2016 }}, ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]''. Retrieved 10 January 2016.</ref>

==Early history==
[[File:Aboriginal cricket team at MCG in 1867.jpg|thumb|left|[[Australian Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868#Background|Aboriginal cricket team]] with captain-coach [[Tom Wills]], December 1866. In the background is the original MCC pavilion, built in 1854.]]
The MCG is built atop a [[Wurundjeri]] camping ground and site of numerous [[corroborees]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Places for Decision |url=https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/3ac0c726-2944-445a-8769-f64d30365914/files/mcg.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307142623/https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/3ac0c726-2944-445a-8769-f64d30365914/files/mcg.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2021 |access-date=11 October 2021 |publisher=Australian Heritage Database}}</ref> Founded in November 1838 the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) selected the current MCG site in 1853 after previously playing at several grounds around Melbourne.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground {{!}} Australia {{!}} Cricket Grounds {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/ground/56441.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212131332/http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/ground/56441.html |archive-date=12 February 2020 |access-date=25 January 2021 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref> The club's first game was against a military team at the Old Mint site, at the corner of [[William Street, Melbourne|William]] and [[La Trobe Street|La Trobe]] Streets. Burial Hill (now [[Flagstaff Gardens]]) became its home ground in January 1839, but the area was already set aside for Botanical Gardens and the club was moved on in October 1846, to an area on the south bank of the Yarra about where the [[Herald & Weekly Times]] building is today. The area was subject to flooding, forcing the club to move again, this time to a ground in [[South Melbourne]].

It was not long before the club was forced out again, this time because of the expansion of the railway. The South Melbourne ground was in the path of Victoria's first steam railway line from Melbourne to Sandridge (now [[Port Melbourne]]). [[Charles La Trobe|Governor La Trobe]] offered the MCC a choice of three sites; an area adjacent to the existing ground, a site at the junction of [[Flinders Street, Melbourne|Flinders]] and [[Spring Street, Melbourne|Spring]] Streets or a ten-acre (about 4&nbsp;hectares) section of the Government Paddock at Richmond next to Richmond Park.

Between European settlement in 1835 and the early 1860s, this last option, which is now [[Yarra Park]], was known as the Government or [[Police paddock|Police Paddock]] and served as a large [[agistment]] area for the horses of the [[New South Wales Mounted Police|Mounted Police]], [[Border Police of New South Wales|Border Police]] and [[Native Police]]. The north-eastern section also housed the main barracks for the Mounted Police in the [[Port Phillip district]]. In 1850 it was part of a {{convert|200|acre|ha|adj=on}} stretch set aside for public recreation extending from Governor La Trobe's Jolimont Estate to the Yarra River. By 1853 it had become a busy promenade for Melbourne residents.

An MCC sub-committee chose the Richmond Park option because it was level enough for cricket but sloped enough to prevent inundation. That ground was located where the Richmond, or outer, end of the current MCG is now.

At the same time the [[Monash Tigers|Richmond Cricket Club]] was given occupancy rights to {{convert|6|acre|ha|abbr=off|spell=in}} for another cricket ground on the eastern side of the Government Paddock.

In 1861, a board of trustees was appointed to be responsible for the ground. Over the first forty years, most of the trustees were appointed by the MCC, giving the cricket club relative autonomy over the use of the ground. In 1906, the state governments' Lands ministry appointed five new trustees, putting the government-appointed trustees in the majority; and the government has appointed and overseen the trust since.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mid-on |date=30 June 1906 |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground – the Trustees and the Club |work=The Leader |location=Melbourne, VIC |page=26}}</ref> This gives the state government, via the trust, a level of control over the ground's use.

At the time of the land grant, the Government stipulated that the ground was to be used for cricket and cricket only. This condition technically remained until 1933<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=https://supersport.com/cricket/international/melbourne-cricket-ground-info |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628054127/http://www.supersport.com/cricket/international/melbourne-cricket-ground-info |archive-date=28 June 2015 |access-date=25 January 2021 |website=supersport.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=MCG Historical Timeline |url=https://www.mcg.org.au/the-stadium/mcg-history/timeline |website=www.mcg.org.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Levison |first=Brian |title=Remarkable Cricket Grounds |publisher=Pavilion Books |year=2016 |isbn=9781911216056 |location=Great Britain}}</ref> when the Melbourne Cricket Ground Act 1933 widened its allowable uses. The 1933 act has been replaced by separate acts in 1989 and 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust |date=2020 |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust Annual Report 2019/20 |url=https://mcg.org.au/_/media/mcg-trust---annual-report-2019-20.pdf?la=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009050636/https://mcg.org.au/_/media/mcg-trust---annual-report-2019-20.pdf?la=en |archive-date=9 October 2020 |access-date=5 October 2020}}</ref>

In 1863, a corridor of land running diagonally across Yarra Park was granted to the [[Melbourne & Hobson's Bay Railway Company]] and divided Yarra Park from the river. The Mounted Police barracks were operational until the 1880s when it was subdivided into the current residential precinct bordered by Vale Street. The area closest to the river was also developed for sporting purposes in later years including Olympic venues in 1956.

==Stadium development==
[[File:MCG grandstand.jpg|thumb|left|Grandstand built for the [[England cricket team|English cricket team]]'s [[English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1876–77|1877 visit]]]]
The first grandstand at the MCG was the original wooden members' stand built in 1854, while the first public grandstand was a 200-metre long 6000-seat temporary structure built in 1861. Another grandstand seating 2000, facing one way to the cricket ground and the other way to the park where football was played, was built in 1876 for the [[English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1876–77|1877 visit]] of [[James Lillywhite]]'s English cricket team. It was during this tour that the MCG hosted the world's first [[Test cricket|Test]] match.

In 1881, the original members' stand was sold to the Richmond Cricket Club for £55. A new brick stand, considered at the time to be the world's finest cricket facility, was built in its place. The foundation stone was laid by [[George V|Prince George of Wales]] and [[Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Prince Albert Victor]] on 4 July and the stand opened in December that year. It was also in 1881 that a telephone was installed at the ground, and the wickets and goal posts were changed from an east–west orientation to north–south. In 1882 a scoreboard was built which showed details of the batsman's name and how he was dismissed.

When the Lillywhite tour stand burned down in 1884 it was replaced by a new stand which seated 450 members and 4500 public. In 1897, second-storey wings were added to 'The Grandstand', as it was known, increasing capacity to 9,000. In 1900 it was lit with electric light.

[[File:MCG 1914.jpg|thumb|MCG, {{circa|1914}}. The 1881 members' stand is the smaller building on the left]]
More stands were built in the early 20th century. An open wooden stand was on the south side of the ground in 1904 and the 2084-seat Grey Smith Stand (known as the New Stand until 1912) was erected for members in 1906. The 4000-seat Harrison Stand on the ground's southern side was built in 1908 followed by the 8000-seat Wardill Stand in 1912. In the 15 years after 1897 the grandstand capacity at the ground increased to nearly 20,000, while the full ground capacity was almost 60,000.

In 1927, the second brick members' stand was replaced at a cost of £60,000. The Harrison and Wardill Stands were demolished to make way for the Southern Stand which was opened at the end of 1936. The Southern Stand, which spanned almost half of the field's circumference, seated 18,200 under cover and 13,000 in the open and was the main public area of the MCG. The maximum capacity of the ground under this configuration, as advised by the Health Department, was 84,000 seated and 94,000 standing.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 September 1938 |title=New stands may be needed for Melbourne Cricket Ground |work=The Argus |location=Melbourne, VIC |page=20}}</ref>

The Northern Stand, also known as the Olympic Stand, was built to replace the old Grandstand for the 1956 Olympic Games. By Health Department regulations, this was to increase the stadium's capacity to 120,000; although this was revised down after the [[1956 VFL Grand Final]], which could not comfortably accommodate its crowd of 115,802.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 September 1956 |title=Only 102,000 will get in for Games |work=The Argus |location=Melbourne, VIC |page=5}}</ref> Ten years later, the Grey Smith Stand and the open concrete stand next to it were replaced by the Western Stand; the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] laid a foundation stone for the Western Stand on 3 March 1967, and it was completed in 1968; in 1986, it was renamed the W.H. Ponsford Stand in honour of Victorian batsman [[Bill Ponsford]]. This was the stadium's highest capacity configuration, and the all-time record crowd for a sporting event at the venue of 121,696 was set under this configuration in the [[1970 VFL Grand Final]].

The MCG was the home of Australia's first full colour video scoreboard, which replaced the old scoreboard in 1982, located on Level 4 of the Western Stand, which notably caught fire in 1999 and was replaced in 2000. A second video screen added in 1994 almost directly opposite, on Level 4 of the Olympic stand. In 1985, light towers were installed at the ground, allowing for night football and day-night cricket games.

During the 1980s, the Olympic Stand had corporate suites installed which led to the reduction of seating and standing capacity in the stand, the Ponsford Stand had seats installed on the ground level replacing the standing room and both the Southern Stand and Olympic Stand had their wooden bench seats removed and replaced with plastic bucket seats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grandstands |url=https://mcg.org.au/the-stadium/mcg-history/grandstands |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=mcg.org.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 May 2016 |title=History of the MCG - Peter Gee (ABC) 1987 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ZFfDNLG2I&ab_channel=oztiger73 |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

[[File:MCG99.jpg|thumb|left|View of the Great Southern Stand during the 1998 Boxing Day Test match. The Olympic Stand is visible at the bottom left of the photo.]]
In 1988, inspections of the old Southern Stand found [[Alkali–silica reaction|concrete cancer]] and provided the opportunity to replace the increasingly run-down 50-year-old facility. The projected cost of $100&nbsp;million was outside what the Melbourne Cricket Club could afford so the Victorian Football League took the opportunity to part fund the project in return for a 30-year deal to share the ground. The new Great Southern Stand was completed in 1992, in time for the [[1992 Cricket World Cup]], at a final cost of $150&nbsp;million by [[John Holland Group|John Holland]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Up for the Challenge: The John Holland Story 1986 - 2016 |date=2018 |publisher=[[John Holland Group|John Holland]] |pages=99–102}}</ref> It was renamed the Shane Warne Stand after Victorian bowler [[Shane Warne]] in 2022 shortly after his death.<ref>[https://www.afr.com/companies/sport/mcg-stand-to-be-renamed-in-honour-of-shane-warne-20220305-p5a21e MCG stand to be named in honour of Shane Warne] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305045038/https://www.afr.com/companies/sport/mcg-stand-to-be-renamed-in-honour-of-shane-warne-20220305-p5a21e |date=5 March 2022 }} ''[[Australian Financial Review]]'' 5 March 2022</ref>

[[File:New Ponsford Stand Construction.jpg|thumb|The W.H. Ponsford Stand undergoing reconstruction in 2003.]]
[[File:Melbourne Cricket Club Member's Reserve Dec 2022.jpg|thumb|The Members Reserve as viewed from the Shane Warne Stand during the [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] vs [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]] [[Boxing Day Test]] in 2022.]]
The 1928 Members' stand, the 1956 Olympic stand and the 1968 W.H. Ponsford stand were demolished one by one between late 2003 to 2005 and replaced with a new structure in time for the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Products |first=Ancon Building |title=Projects |url=http://www.ancon.com.au/projects/melbourne-cricket-ground-melbourne |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113113159/http://www.ancon.com.au/projects/melbourne-cricket-ground-melbourne |archive-date=13 November 2014 |access-date=13 November 2014}}</ref> Despite now standing as a single unbroken stand, the individual sections retain the names of W.H. Ponsford, Olympic and Members Stands. The redevelopment cost exceeded {{A$}}400&nbsp;million and pushed the ground's capacity to just above 100,000. Since redevelopment, the highest attendance has been 100,024 at the [[2022 AFL Grand Final|2022]] and [[2023 AFL Grand Final|2023]] AFL grand finals.

From 2011 until 2013, the [[Victoria State Government]] and the Melbourne Cricket Club funded a $55&nbsp;million refurbishment of the facilities in the Great Southern Stand, including renovations to entrance gates and ticket outlets, food and beverage outlets, etc., without significantly modifying the stand.<ref>[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/john-brumby-announces-55m-facelift-for-mcgs-great-southern-stand/story-e6frf7kx-1225923753438 John Brumby announces $55m facelift for MCG's Great Southern Stand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615075159/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/john-brumby-announces-55m-facelift-for-mcgs-great-southern-stand/story-e6frf7kx-1225923753438 |date=15 June 2011 }} ''Herald Sun'' 15 September 2010</ref> New scoreboards, more than twice the size of the original ones, were installed in the same positions in late 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground - Largest scoreboards at an Australian stadium unveiled at MCG |url=http://www.mcg.org.au/News/News/2013/December/MCG_Scoreboards_Unveiled.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714153332/https://www.mcg.org.au/News/News/2013/December/MCG_Scoreboards_Unveiled.aspx |archive-date=14 July 2014 |access-date=2014-07-10}}</ref>

From November 2019 until February 2020 all the playing field lights, including those in the light towers, were replaced with LED sports lighting with the lighting under the roof and in two of the light towers completed in time for the [[New Zealand cricket team in Australia in 2019–20#2nd Test|Boxing Day Test]] against [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shining Light: MCG Light Towers Set For LED Upgrade |url=https://www.mcg.org.au/whats-on/latest-news/2019/december/shining-light---mcg-light-towers-set-for-led-upgrade |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207113922/https://www.mcg.org.au/whats-on/latest-news/2019/december/shining-light---mcg-light-towers-set-for-led-upgrade |archive-date=7 February 2020 |access-date=2020-02-07 |website=www.mcg.org.au |language=en}}</ref>

==Cricket==

===Early years===
The first cricket match at the venue was played on 30 September 1854, while the first inter-colonial cricket match to be played at the MCG was between Victoria and New South Wales in March 1856. Victoria had played Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) as early as 1851 but the Victorians had included two professionals in the 1853 team upsetting the Tasmanians and causing a cooling of relations between the two colonies. To replace the disgruntled Tasmanians the Melbourne Cricket Club issued a challenge to play any team in the colonies for [[Australian pound|£]]1000. Sydney publican William Tunks accepted the challenge on behalf of New South Wales although the Victorians were criticised for playing for money. Ethics aside, New South Wales could not afford the £1000 and only managed to travel to Melbourne after half the team's travel cost of £181 was put up by Sydney barrister Richard Driver.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

The game eventually got under way on 26 March 1856. The Victorians, stung by criticism over the £1000 stake, argued over just about everything; the toss, who should bat first, whether different pitches should be used for the different innings and even what the umpires should wear.

Victoria won the toss but New South Wales captain George Gilbert successfully argued that the visiting team should decide who bats first. The MCG was a grassless desert and Gilbert, considering players fielded without boots, promptly sent Victoria into bat. Needing only 16 to win in the final innings, New South Wales collapsed to be 5 for 5 before Gilbert's batting saved the game and the visitors won by three wickets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victoria vs. New South Wales, 1855–56 |url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1850S/1855-56/AUS_LOCAL/VIC_NSW_26-27MAR1856.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911080359/http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1850S/1855-56/AUS_LOCAL/VIC_NSW_26-27MAR1856.html |archive-date=11 September 2018 |access-date=22 November 2013 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |publisher=[[ESPN Inc.]]}}</ref>

In subsequent years conditions at the MCG improved but the ever-ambitious Melburnians were always on the lookout for more than the usual diet of club and inter-colonial games. In 1861, [[Felix William Spiers]] and Christopher Pond, the proprietors of the Cafe de Paris in [[Bourke Street]] and caterers to the MCC, sent their agent, W.B. Mallam, to England to arrange for a cricket team to visit Australia.

Mallam found a team and, captained by Heathfield Stephenson, it arrived in Australia on Christmas Eve 1861 to be met by a crowd of more than 3000 people. The team was taken on a parade through the streets wearing white-trimmed hats with blue ribbons given to them for the occasion. Wherever they went they were mobbed and cheered by crowds to the point where the tour sponsors had to take them out of Melbourne so that they could train undisturbed.

Their first game was at the MCG on New Year's Day 1862, against a Victorian XVIII. The Englishmen also wore coloured sashes around their waists to identify each player and were presented with hats to shade them from the sun. Some estimates put the crowd at the MCG that day at 25,000. It must have been quite a picture with a new 6000 seat grandstand, coloured marquees ringing the ground and a carnival outside. Stephenson said that the ground was better than any in England. The Victorians however, were no match for the English at cricket and the visitors won by an innings and 96 runs.

[[File:MCG-1864.JPG|thumb|1864 match between [[Victoria cricket team|Victoria]] and [[George Parr (cricketer)|George Parr]]'s [[English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1863–64|touring All-England Eleven]]]]
Over the four days of the match more than 45,000 people attended and the profits for Speirs and Pond from this game alone was enough to fund the whole tour. At that time it was the largest number of people to ever watch a cricket match anywhere in the world. Local cricket authorities went out of their way to cater for the needs of the team and the sponsors. They provided grounds and sponsors booths without charge and let the sponsors keep the gate takings. The sponsors however, were not so generous in return. They quibbled with the Melbourne Cricket Club about paying £175 for damages to the MCG despite a prior arrangement to do so.

The last match of the tour was against a Victorian XXII at the MCG after which the English team planted an elm tree outside the ground.

Following the success of this tour, a number of other English teams also visited in subsequent years. [[George Parr (cricketer)|George Parr]]'s side came out in 1863–64 and there were two tours by sides led by [[William Gilbert Grace|W. G. Grace]]. The fourth tour was led by [[James Lillywhite]].

On Boxing Day 1866 an [[Indigenous Australian]] cricket team played at the MCG with 11,000 spectators against an MCC team. A few players in that match were in a [[1868 Aboriginal cricket tour of England|later team that toured England in 1868]]. Some also played in three other matches at the ground before 1869.

===First Test match===
[[File:Mcg 1878.jpg|thumb|The MCG in 1878. The first [[Test cricket]] match was played at the MCG in 1877]]
Up until the fourth tour in 1877, led by James Lillywhite, touring teams had played [[first-class cricket|first-class]] games against the individual colonial sides, but Lillywhite felt that his side had done well enough against New South Wales to warrant a game against an All Australian team.

When Lillywhite headed off to New Zealand he left Melbourne cricketer [[John Conway (cricketer)|John Conway]] to arrange the match for their return. Conway ignored the cricket associations in each colony and selected his own Australian team, negotiating directly with the players. Not only was the team he selected of doubtful representation but it was also probably not the strongest available as some players had declined to take part for various reasons. Demon bowler [[Fred Spofforth]] refused to play because wicket-keeper [[Billy Murdoch (cricketer)|Billy Murdoch]] was not selected. Paceman [[Frank Allan]] was at Warrnambool Agricultural Show and Australia's best all-rounder [[Edwin Evans (cricketer)|Edwin Evans]] could not get away from work. In the end only five Australian-born players were selected.

The same could be said for Lillywhite's team which, being selected from only four counties, meant that some of England's best players did not take part. In addition, the team had a rough voyage back across the [[Tasman Sea]] and many members had been seasick. The game was due to be played on 15 March, the day after their arrival, but most had not yet fully recovered. On top of that, wicket-keeper [[Ted Pooley]] was still in a New Zealand prison after a brawl in a [[Christchurch]] pub.

England was nonetheless favourite to win the game and the first ever Test match began with a crowd of only 1000 watching. The Australians elected [[Dave Gregory (cricketer)|Dave Gregory]] from [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]] as Australia's first ever captain and on winning the toss he decided to bat.

[[Charles Bannerman]] scored an unbeaten 165 before retiring hurt. [[Sydney Cricket Ground]] curator, [[Ned Gregory]], playing in his one and only Test for Australia, scored Test cricket's first [[duck (cricket)|duck]]. Australia racked up 245 and 104 while England scored 196 and 108 giving Australia victory by 45 runs. The win hinged on Bannerman's century and a superb bowling performance by [[Tom Kendall]] who took 7 for 55 in England's second innings.

A fortnight later there was a return game, although it was really more of a benefit for the English team. Australia included Spofforth, Murdoch and T.J.D. Cooper in the side but this time the honours went to England who won by four wickets.

Two years later [[George Harris, 4th Baron Harris|Lord Harris]] brought another England team out and during England's first innings in the Test at the MCG, Fred Spofforth took the first [[Hat-trick (cricket)|hat-trick]] in Test cricket. He bagged two hauls of 6 for 48 and 7 for 62 in Australia's ten wicket win.

===Cricket uses===
Through most of the 20th century, the Melbourne Cricket Ground was one of the two major Test venues in Australia (along with the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]]), and it would host one or two Tests in each summer in which Tests were played; since 1982, the Melbourne Cricket Ground has hosted one Test match each summer. Until 1979, the ground almost always hosted its match or one of its matches over the New Year, with the first day's play falling somewhere between 29 December and 1 January; in most years since 1980 and every year since 1995, its test has begun on Boxing Day, and it is now a standard fixture in the Australian cricket calendar and is known as the [[Boxing Day Test]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Records / Melbourne Cricket Ground / Test matches / Match results |url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=1;id=61;type=ground |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123192013/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=1%3Bid%3D61%3Btype%3Dground |archive-date=23 November 2016 |access-date=30 August 2015 |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> The venue also hosts one-day international matches each year, and Twenty20 international matches most years. No other venue in Melbourne has hosted a Test, and [[Docklands Stadium]] is the only other venue to have hosted a limited-overs international.

The [[Victoria Bushrangers|Victorian first-class team]] plays [[Sheffield Shield]] cricket at the venue during the season. Prior to Test cricket being played on Boxing Day, it was a long-standing tradition for Victoria to host [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]] in a first-class match on Boxing Day. Victoria also played its limited overs matches at the ground.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gideon Haigh |date=26 December 2014 |title=How an overcrowded calendar delivered a Boxing Day Test classic |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/how-an-overcrowded-calendar-delivered-a-boxing-day-test-classic/story-fnb58rpk-1227166730196 |access-date=30 August 2015 |work=The Australasian |location=Melbourne, VIC}}</ref> Since the introduction of the domestic Twenty20 [[Big Bash League]] (BBL) in 2011, the [[Melbourne Stars]] club has played its home matches at the ground. It is also the home ground of the [[Melbourne Stars Women]] team, which plays in the [[Women's Big Bash League]] (WBBL).<ref>[http://www.melbournestars.com.au/club/our-home-ground OUR HOME GROUND] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125173003/http://www.melbournestars.com.au/club/our-home-ground |date=25 January 2016 }} melbournestars.com.au. Retrieved on 9 January 2016</ref>

By the 1980s, the integral MCG [[cricket pitch|pitch]] – grown from [[Merri Creek]] black soil – was considered the worst in Australia, in some matches exhibiting wildly inconsistent bounce which could see balls pass through as grubbers or rear dangerously high – a phenomenon which was put down to damage caused by footballers in winter and increased use for cricket during the summers of the 1970s.<ref>{{Citation |last=Donald S. McIntyre |title=Problems of the Melbourne Test cricket pitch and their relevance to Australian turf pitches |work=Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute |volume=61 |pages=80–91 |year=1985}}</ref> The integral pitch has since been removed and [[drop-in pitch]]es have been cultivated and used since 1996, generally offering consistent bounce and a fair balance between bat and ball.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=http://m.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/2223/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015/venues/87/melbourne-cricket-ground |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924101713/http://m.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/2223/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015/venues/87/melbourne-cricket-ground |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=30 August 2015 |publisher=Cricbuzz}}</ref> The decade-and-a-half-old pitches degraded again through the late 2010s, seeing the pitch receive the first official [[International Cricket Council]] 'poor' rating by an Australian pitch in 2017, and saw another Sheffield Shield match abandoned in 2019;<ref>[https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mcg-pitch-rating-icc-poor-melbourne-cricket-australia-ashes-test-stripped-boxing-day-fine-warning/2018-01-02 MCG on notice after ICC rates pitch 'poor'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104074904/https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mcg-pitch-rating-icc-poor-melbourne-cricket-australia-ashes-test-stripped-boxing-day-fine-warning/2018-01-02 |date=4 January 2018 }}, By Andrew Ramsey, 2 January 2018, cricket.com.au</ref> a new set of drop-in pitches will be grown and ready for use by the early 2020s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jon Pierik |date=23 December 2020 |title='Significant change': MCG pitch to be upgraded |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/significant-change-mcg-pitch-to-be-upgraded-20201223-p56pua.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223070308/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/significant-change-mcg-pitch-to-be-upgraded-20201223-p56pua.html |archive-date=23 December 2020 |access-date=13 March 2021 |publication-place=Melbourne, VIC |newspaper=[[The Age]]}}</ref> A 150th anniversary Test match between Australia and England, commemorating the first Test match in 1877, is due to be held from 11 to 15 March 2027 and is expected to be the first-ever day and night men's Test at the MCG.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=CricOpinion |date=2025-03-11 |title=MCG Night Test: 150 Years of Australia vs England Rivalry |url=https://cricopinion.com/cricket-news/mcg-night-test-150-years-australia-england-rivalry |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=CricOpinion |language=en}}</ref>

===Highlights and lowlights===
The highest first-class team score in history was posted at the MCG in the Boxing Day match against New South Wales in 1926–27. Victoria scored 1107 in two days, with [[Bill Ponsford]] scoring 352 and [[Jack Ryder (cricketer)|Jack Ryder]] scoring 295.

One of the most sensational incidents in Test cricket occurred at the MCG during the Melbourne test of the 1954–55 England tour of Australia. Big cracks had appeared in the pitch during a very hot Saturday's play and on the rest day Sunday, groundsman [[Jack House (footballer)|Jack House]] watered the pitch to close them up. This was illegal and the story was leaked by ''[[The Age]]'' newspaper. The teams agreed to finish the match and England won by 128 runs after [[Frank Tyson]] took 7 for 27 in the final innings.

An incident in the second Test of the 1960–61 series involved the [[West Indian cricket team|West Indies]] player [[Joe Solomon]] being given out after his hat fell on the stumps after being bowled at by [[Richie Benaud]]. The crowd sided with the West Indies over the Australians.

Not only was the first Test match played at the MCG, the first [[One Day International]] match was also played there, on 5 January 1971, between Australia and England. The match was played on what was originally scheduled to have been the fifth day of a Test match, but the Test was abandoned after the first three days were washed out.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Washout |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/150244.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924233521/http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/150244.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=30 August 2015 |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> Australia won the 40-over match by 5 wickets. The next ODI was played in August 1972, some 19 months later.<ref>List of ODI matches. [http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/STATS/ODIS/MISC/COMPLETE_LIST.html Cricinfo.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607184720/http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/STATS/ODIS/MISC/COMPLETE_LIST.html |date=7 June 2007 }}</ref>

In March 1977, a Centenary Test Match was held between Australia and England to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Test match. The match was the idea of former Australian bowler and MCC committee member Hans Ebeling who had been responsible for developing the cricket museum at the MCG. England's Derek Randall scored 174, Australia's Rod Marsh also got a century, Dennis Lillee took 11 wickets, and David Hookes, in his first Test, hit five fours in a row off England captain Tony Greig's bowling. Rick McCosker opened the batting for Australia and suffered a fractured jaw after being hit by a sharply rising delivery. He left the field but came back in the second innings with his head swathed in bandages. Australia won the match by 45 runs, exactly the same margin as the first Test in 1877.

[[File:MCG stands.jpg|thumb|left|The second day of the 2006 Boxing Day Test match]]
Another incident occurred on 1 February 1981 at the end of a one-day match between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand, batting second, needed six runs off the last ball of the day to tie the game. Australian captain, Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor, who was bowling the last over, to [[Underarm bowling incident of 1981|send the last ball down underarm]] to prevent the New Zealand batsman, Brian McKechnie, from hitting the ball for six. Although not in the spirit of the game, an underarm delivery was quite legal, so long as the arm was kept straight. The Laws of cricket have since been changed to prevent such a thing happening again. The incident has long been a sore point between Australia and New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 2018 |title=Underarm bowling incident: What Trevor Chappell did in 1981 |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/cricket/2018/03/28/underarm-bowling-incident/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129194037/https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/cricket/2018/03/28/underarm-bowling-incident/ |archive-date=29 January 2021 |access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref>

In February and March 1985 the [[Benson & Hedges]] [[World Championship of Cricket]] was played at the MCG, a [[One Day International]] tournament involving all of the then Test match playing countries to celebrate 150 years of the Australian state of [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]]. Some matches were also played at [[Sydney Cricket Ground]].

The MCG hosted the [[1992 Cricket World Cup]] Final between [[Pakistani cricket team|Pakistan]] and [[English cricket team|England]] with a crowd of more than 87,000. Pakistan won the match after an all-round performance by [[Wasim Akram]] who scored 33 runs and took 3 wickets to make Pakistan cricket world champions for the first and, to date, only time.

During the 1995 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Australian umpire [[Darrell Hair]] called [[Sri Lankan cricket team|Sri Lankan]] spin bowler [[Muttiah Muralitharan]] for throwing the ball, rather than bowling it, seven times during the match.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 December 2020 |title='Drastic final step' that sparked cricket chaos |url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/cricket/muttiah-muralitharan-darrell-hair-no-balled-throwing-boxing-day-test-1995-australia-vs-sri-lanka/ac158934-43ef-4fde-b5d7-9ce0a05415ed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127124209/https://wwos.nine.com.au/cricket/muttiah-muralitharan-darrell-hair-no-balled-throwing-boxing-day-test-1995-australia-vs-sri-lanka/ac158934-43ef-4fde-b5d7-9ce0a05415ed |archive-date=27 January 2021 |access-date=25 January 2021 |website=wwos.nine.com.au |language=en}}</ref> The other umpire did not call him once and this caused a controversy, although Muralitharan was later called for throwing by other umpires in different matches.

The MCG is known for its great atmosphere,{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} much of which is generated at [[Bay 13]], situated almost directly opposite to the members stand. In the late 1980s, the crowd at Bay 13 would often mimic the [[warming up|warm up]] [[Stretching#Stretching in preparation for a physical activity|stretches]] performed by [[Merv Hughes]]. In a 1999 One-Day International, the behaviour of Bay 13 was so poor that [[Shane Warne]], donning a helmet for protection, asked the crowd to settle down at the request of opposing England captain [[Alec Stewart]].{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

[[File:Cricket World Cup Final (16351625604).jpg|thumb|MCG during the [[2015 Cricket World Cup Final]] with 93,013 in attendance]]
The MCG hosted three pool games as part of the [[2015 ICC Cricket World Cup]] as well as a quarter-final, and then the final on 29 March. Australia comfortably defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in front of an Australian record cricket crowd of 93,013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 March 2015 |title=ICC Cricket World Cup Final 2015 – the Grand Finale! |url=http://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup/news/2015/features-and-specials/87569/icc-cricket-world-cup-final-2015-the-grand-finale |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924032706/http://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup/news/2015/features-and-specials/87569/icc-cricket-world-cup-final-2015-the-grand-finale |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=30 August 2015 |publisher=ICC}}</ref>

The [[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final]] was held on [[International Women's Day]] between Australia and India. Australia won by 85 runs in front of a record crowd for women's cricket of 86,174.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Attendance records for cricket matches at the MCG
! Number
! Teams
! Match type
! Attendance
! Date
|-
| 1
| Australia v [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]]
|[[2015 Cricket World Cup Final]] (ODI)
| 93,013
| 29 March 2015
|-
| 2
| Australia v [[England cricket team|England]]
|Test
| 91,112
| 26 December 2013
|-
| 3
| Australia v [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]]
|Test
| 90,800
| 11 February 1961
|-
| 4
| [[India national cricket team|India]] v [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]]
|[[2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup#Group 2|2022 Men's T20 World Cup (Super 12)]]
| 90,293
| 23 October 2022
|-
|5
|Australia v England
|Test
|89,155
|26 December 2006
|-
|6
|Australia v England
|Test
|88,172
|26 December 2017
|-
|7
|Australia v England
|Test
|87,789
|4 January 1937
|-
|8
|Australia v India
|Test
|87,242
|26 December 2024
|-
|9
|England v [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]]
|[[1992 Cricket World Cup Final]] (ODI)
|87,182
|25 March 1992
|-
|10
|India v [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]]
|[[2015 Cricket World Cup]] Group match
|86,876 
|22 February 2015
|-
|11
|Australia v India
|[[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final]]
|86,174
|8 March 2020
|}

==Australian rules football==
As of 2024, six [[Australian Football League|AFL]] teams have deals in place to play home games at the MCG:
* [[Melbourne Football Club]] (1858–present) – ten home games per year. 
* [[Richmond Football Club]] (1965–present) – ten home games per year.
* [[Essendon Football Club]] (1991–present) – four home games per year.
* [[Collingwood Football Club]] (1993–present) – nine home games per year.
* [[Hawthorn Football Club]] (2000–present) – six or seven home games per year.
* [[Carlton Football Club]] (2005–present) – five home games per year.

Additionally, the [[Geelong Football Club]] plays two home games per year at the MCG, and the [[St Kilda Football Club]] plays one home game per year at the MCG; both teams predominantly play home games at [[Kardinia Park (stadium)|Kardinia Park]] and [[Docklands Stadium]] respectively.

===Origins===
{{See also|Origins of Australian rules football}}
[[File:Football electric lighting MCG 1879.jpg|thumb|1879 [[Australian rules football]] match played under electric lights]]
[[File:Football crowd MCG.jpg|thumb|Crowd during a VFL football match, early 1900s]]
Despite being called the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the stadium has been and continues to be used much more often for [[Australian rules football]]. Spectator numbers for football are larger than for any other sport in Australia, and it makes more money for the MCG than any of the other sports played there.

Although the Melbourne Cricket Club members were instrumental in founding Australian Rules Football, there were understandable concerns in the early days about the damage that might be done to the playing surface if football was allowed to be played at the MCG. Therefore, football games were often played in the parklands next to the cricket ground, and this was the case for the first documented football match to be played at the ground. The match which today is considered to be the first Australian rules football, played between [[Melbourne Grammar]] and [[Scotch College Melbourne|Scotch College]] over three Saturdays beginning 7 August 1858 was played in this area.

It wasn't until 1869 that football was played on the MCG proper, a trial game involving a police team. It was not for another ten years, in 1879, after the formation of the Victorian Football Association, that the first official match was played on the MCG and the cricket ground itself became a regular venue for football. Two night matches were played on the ground during the year under the newly invented [[electric light]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 August 1879 |title=Football by electric light |work=The Argus |location=Melbourne, VIC |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Peter Pindar |date=16 August 1879 |title=Football Gossip |work=The Australasian |location=Melbourne, VIC |page=204 |volume=XXVII |issue=698}}</ref>

In the early years, the MCG was the home ground of [[Melbourne Football Club]], Australia's oldest club, established in 1858 by the founder of the game itself, Thomas Wills. Melbourne won five premierships during the 1870s using the MCG as its home ground.

The first of nearly 3000 [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League/Australian Football League]] games to be played at the MCG was on 15 May 1897, with {{AFL Mel}} beating {{AFL Gee}} 64 to 19.

Melbourne used the venue as its training base until 1984, before being required to move to preserve the venue's surface when North Melbourne began playing there.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ashley Browne |date=7 July 1994 |title=$500,000 facelift for Junction Oval |work=The Age |location=Melbourne, VIC |page=26}}</ref>

===Finals and grand finals===
The [[AFL Grand Final|VFL/AFL grand final]] has been played at the MCG every season since 1902, except for between 1942 and 1945, when the ground was used by the military during World War II; in [[1991 AFL season|1991]] as the construction of the Great Southern Stand had temporarily reduced the ground's capacity below that of [[Waverley Park]]; and both [[2020 AFL Grand Final|2020]] and [[2021 AFL Grand Final|2021]], when restrictions in Victoria due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] prompted the games to be moved to [[the Gabba]] in Queensland and [[Perth Stadium]] in Western Australia respectively. All three grand final replays have been played at the MCG.

[[File:MCG 2022 AFL Grand Final.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A sold out MCG during the [[2022 AFL Grand Final]]; the match drew an attendance of 100,024]]
Before the MCG was fully seated, a grand final could draw attendances above 110,000. The record for the highest attendance in the history of the sport was set in the [[1970 VFL Grand Final]], with 121,696 in attendance.

Since being fully seated, grand final attendances are typically between 95,000 and 100,000, with the record of 100,024 at both the [[2022 AFL Grand Final]] and the [[2023 AFL Grand Final]], followed by 100,022 at both the [[2018 AFL Grand Final]] and the [[2025 AFL Grand Final]] and 100,021 at the [[2017 AFL Grand Final]].

In the modern era, most finals games held in Melbourne have been played at the MCG. Under the current contract, 10 finals (excluding the grand final) must be played at the MCG over a five-year period. Under previous contracts, the MCG was entitled to host at least one match in each week of the finals, which on several occasions required non-Victorian clubs to play "home" finals in Victoria. The MCG is contracted to host the grand final every year until 2059.<ref name="GabbaFoxSports">{{Cite web |date=2 September 2020 |title=This is a win for Queensland: AFL reveals how QLD won race for historic Grand Final as key fixture details confirmed |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-grand-final-2020-date-time-venue-first-bounce-where-will-he-game-be-played-live-press-conference/news-story/7c087c2f58052edc6f82b8ada4a5e139 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419202520/https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-grand-final-2020-date-time-venue-first-bounce-where-will-he-game-be-played-live-press-conference/news-story/7c087c2f58052edc6f82b8ada4a5e139 |archive-date=19 April 2021 |access-date=25 September 2020 |website=Fox Sports}}</ref>

All Melbourne-based teams (and most of the time Geelong) play their "home" finals at the MCG unless if four Victorian teams win the right to host a final in the first week of the finals.

===MCG and the VFL/AFL===
For many years the VFL had an uneasy relationship with the MCG trustees and the Melbourne Cricket Club. Both needed the other, but resented the dependence. The VFL made the first move which brought things to a head by beginning the development of [[VFL Park]] at [[Mulgrave, Victoria|Mulgrave]] in the 1960s as its own home ground and as a potential venue for future grand finals. Then in 1983, president of the VFL, [[Allen Aylett]] started to pressure the MCG Trust to give the VFL a greater share of the money it made from using the ground for football.

After negotiations with the MCC in 1964, {{AFL Ric}} joined Melbourne playing their home games at the MCG from [[1965 VFL season|1965]].

In March 1983 the MCG trustees met to consider a submission from Aylett. Aylett said he wanted the Melbourne Cricket Club's share of revenue cut from 15 per cent to 10 per cent. He threatened to take the following day's opening game of the season, Collingwood vs Melbourne, away from the MCG. The money was held aside until an agreement could be reached.

Different deals, half deals and possible deals were done over the years, with the [[Premier of Victoria]], [[John Cain II|John Cain, Jr.]], even becoming involved. Cain was said to have promised the VFL it could use the MCG for six months of the year and then hand it back to the MCC, but this never eventuated, as the MCG Trust did not approve it. In the mid-1980s, a deal was done where the VFL was given its own members area in the Southern Stand.

Against this background of political maneuvering, in 1985 {{AFL NM}} became the third club to make the MCG its home ground. In the same year, North played in the first night football match at the MCG for almost 110 years, against Collingwood on 29 March 1985.

In 1986, only a month after [[Ross Oakley]] had taken over as VFL Commissioner, VFL executives met with the MCC and took a big step towards resolving their differences. Changes in the personnel at the MCC also helped. In 1983 [[John Lill (cricketer)|John Lill]] was appointed secretary and [[Don Cordner]] its president.

Shortly after the Southern Stand opened in 1992, the Australian Football League moved its headquarters into the complex. The AFL assisted with financing the new stand and came to an agreement that ensures at least 45 AFL games are played at the MCG each year, including the Grand Final in September. Another 45 days of cricket are also played there each year and more than 3.5&nbsp;million spectators come to watch every year. Also in 1992, {{AFL Ess}} became the fourth AFL club to call the MCG home with {{AFL Col}} staging the majority of their home games at the MCG from 1994 onwards before fully moving from [[Victoria Park, Melbourne|Victoria Park]] to the MCG in 2000. {{AFL Car}} have also used the ground for up to five home games a year since 1992.

After the closure of [[Waverley Park]], {{AFL Haw}} moved their home games to the MCG in 2000.

As of the end of 2011, [[Matthew Richardson (Australian rules footballer)|Matthew Richardson]] holds the records for having scored the most goals on the MCG and as of 2021 [[Scott Pendlebury]] holds the record for playing the most matches. Two players have scored 14 goals for an AFL or VFL game in one match at the MCG, [[Gary Ablett Sr.]] in 1989 and 1993 and [[John Longmire]] in 1990.

Before an AFL match between {{AFL Ric}} and {{AFL Car}} on 27 August 1999, the city end scoreboard caught on fire due to an electrical fault, causing the start of play to be delayed by half an hour.

{{wide image|MCG Panorama.JPG|1000px|align-cap=center|A panoramic view of the Melbourne Cricket Ground from level 4 of the Northern Stand, First game of the 2010 AFL Season between Richmond and Carlton}}

==American football==
On 6 February 2025, the [[National Football League]] officially announced that a multi-season deal had been made between the NFL and the [[Victoria State Government]] to bring multiple regular season NFL games to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Part of the [[NFL International Series]], the NFL Melbourne Games will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting in 2026, with the [[Los Angeles Rams]] being the designated home team for the first game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne to host first-ever NFL regular season game in Australia in 2026; Rams designated team |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/melbourne-to-host-first-ever-nfl-regular-season-game-in-australia-in-2026-rams-designated-team |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==World War II==
During [[World War II]], the government requisitioned the MCG for military use. From 1942 until 1945 it was occupied by (in order): the [[United States Army Air Forces]], the [[Royal Australian Air Force]], the [[United States Marine Corps]] and again the RAAF.<ref name="MCGCite">{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground – US Marines at the MCG |url=http://www.mcg.org.au/History/Other%20Events/US%20Marines.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218084312/https://www.mcg.org.au/History/Other%20Events/US%20Marines.aspx |archive-date=18 December 2013 |access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref> Over the course of the war, more than 200,000 personnel were barracked at the MCG. From April to October 1942, the US Army's [[Fifth Air Force]] occupied the ground, naming it "Camp Murphy", in honour of officer Colonel William Murphy, a senior USAAF officer killed in [[Java]]. In 1943 the MCG was home to the legendary [[1st Marine Regiment (United States)|First Regiment]] of the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|First Division]] of the United States Marine Corps. The First Marine Division were the heroes of the [[battle of Guadalcanal|Guadalcanal campaign]] and used the "cricket grounds", as the marines referred to it, to rest and recuperate.<ref name = MCGCite/> On 14 March 1943 the marines hosted a giant "get together" of American and Australian troops on the arena.<ref name = MCGCite/>

In 1977, Melbourne Cricket Club president [[Albert Chadwick|Sir Albert Chadwick]] and [[Medal of Honor]] recipient, Colonel [[Mitchell Paige]], unveiled a commemorative plaque recognizing the Americans' time at the ground.<ref name = MCGCite/>

==Olympic Games==
{{Main|1956 Summer Olympics}}

The MCG's most famous moment in history was as the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, track and field events, and the finals in field hockey and soccer.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1956/OR1956.pdf 1956 Summer Olympics official report.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912181829/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1956/OR1956.pdf |date=12 September 2008 }} p. 40.</ref> The MCG was only one of seven possible venues, including the Melbourne Showgrounds, for the Games' main arena. The MCG was the Federal Government's preferred venue but there was resistance from the MCC. The inability to decide on the central venue nearly caused the Games to be moved from Melbourne. Prime Minister [[Robert Menzies]] recognised the potential embarrassment to Australia if this happened and organised a three-day summit meeting to thrash things out. Attending was Victorian Premier [[John Cain (senior)|John Cain, Sr.]], the Prime Minister, deputy opposition leader [[Arthur Calwell]], all State political leaders, civic leaders, Olympic officials and trustees and officials of the MCC. Convening the meeting was no small effort considering the calibre of those attending and that many of the sports officials were only part-time amateurs.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

As 22 November, the date of the opening ceremony, drew closer, Melbourne was gripped ever more tightly by Olympic fever. At 3&nbsp;pm the day before the opening ceremony, people began to line up outside the MCG gates. That night a quarter of a million people were in the city to celebrate.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

The MCG's capacity was increased by the new Olympic (or Northern) Stand, and on the day itself 103,000 people filled the stadium to capacity. A young up and coming distance runner was chosen to carry the Olympic torch into the stadium for the opening ceremony.

Although [[Ron Clarke]] had a number of junior world records for distances of 1500&nbsp;m, one mile (1.6&nbsp;km) and two miles (3&nbsp;km), he was relatively unknown in 1956. Perhaps the opportunity to carry the torch inspired him because he went on to have a career of exceptional brilliance. At one stage he held the world record for every distance from two miles (3&nbsp;km) to 20&nbsp;km. His few failures came in Olympic and Commonwealth Games competition. Although favourite for the gold at Tokyo in 1964 he was placed ninth in the 5,000&nbsp;metres race and the marathon and third in the 10,000&nbsp;metres. He lost again in the [[1966 Commonwealth Games]] and in 1968 at altitude in Mexico he collapsed at the end of the 10&nbsp;km race. [[File:Ron Clarke carrying the Olympic Torch during opening ceremony at Melbourne Olympic Games.jpg|thumb|Ron Clarke carrying the Olympic Torch through the MCG at the 1956 Olympic Games' opening ceremony.]]

On that famous day in Melbourne in 1956 the torch spluttered and sparked, showering Clarke with hot magnesium, burning holes in his shirt. When he dipped the torch into the cauldron it burst into flame singeing him further. In the centre of the ground, John Landy, the fastest miler in the world, took the Olympic oath and sculler Merv Wood carried the Australian flag.

The Melbourne Games also saw the high point of Australian female sprinting with [[Betty Cuthbert]] winning three gold medals at the MCG. She won the 100&nbsp;m and 200&nbsp;m and anchored the winning 4 x 100&nbsp;m team. Born in Merrylands in Sydney's west she was a champion schoolgirl athlete and had already broken the world record for the 200&nbsp;m just before the 1956 Games. She was to be overshadowed by her Western Suburbs club member, the [[Marlene Matthews]]. When they got to the Games, Matthews was the overwhelming favourite especially for the 100&nbsp;m a distance over which Cuthbert had beaten her just once.

Both Matthews and Cuthbert won their heats with Matthews setting an Olympic record of 11.5&nbsp;seconds in hers. Cuthbert broke that record in the following heat with a time of 11.4&nbsp;seconds. The world record of 11.3 was held by another Australian, Shirley Strickland who was eliminated in her heat. In the final Matthews felt she got a bad start and was last at the 50&nbsp;metre mark. Cuthbert sensed Isabella Daniels from the USA close behind her and pulled out a little extra to win Australia's first gold at the Games in a time of 11.5&nbsp;seconds, Matthews was third. The result was repeated in the 200&nbsp;m final. Cuthbert won her second gold breaking Marjorie Jackson's Olympic record. Matthews was third again.

By the time the 1956 Olympics came around, [[Shirley Strickland]] was a mother of 31 years of age but managed to defend her 80&nbsp;m title, which she had won in Helsinki four years before, winning gold and setting a new Olympic record.

The sensational incident of the track events was the non-selection of Marlene Matthews in the 4 x 100&nbsp;m relay. Matthews trained with the relay team up until the selection was made but Cuthbert, Strickland, Fleur Mellor and Norma Croker were picked for the team. There was outrage at the selection which increased when Matthews went on to run third in both the 100&nbsp;m and 200&nbsp;m finals. Personally she was devastated and felt that she had been overlooked for her poor baton change. Strickland was disappointed with the way Matthews was treated and maintained it was an opinion held in New South Wales that she had baton problems. One of the selectors, Doris Magee from NSW, said that selecting Matthews increased the risk of disqualification at the change. But Cuthbert maintained that the selectors made the right choice saying that Fleur Mellor was fresh, a specialist relay runner and was better around the curves than Matthews.

The men did not fare so well. The 4 x 400&nbsp;m relay team, including later IOC Committee member [[Kevan Gosper]], won silver. Charles Porter also won silver in the high jump. Hec Hogan won bronze in the 100&nbsp;m to become the first Australian man to win a medal in a sprint since the turn of the century and despite injury John Landy won bronze in the 1500&nbsp;m. Allan Lawrence won bronze in the 10,000&nbsp;m event.

Apart from athletics, the stadium was also used for the soccer finals, the hockey finals, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and an exhibition game of baseball between the Australian National Team and a US armed services team at which an estimated crowd of 114,000 attended. This was the [[Guinness World Record]] for the largest attendance for any baseball game, which stood until a 29 March 2008 exhibition game between the [[Boston Red Sox]] and [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] at the [[Los Angeles Coliseum]] (also a former Olympic venue in [[1932 Summer Olympics|1932]] and [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984]]) drawing 115,300.

The MCG was also used for another demonstration sport, Australian Rules. The Olympics being an amateur competition meant that only amateurs could play in the demonstration game. A combined team of amateurs from the VFL and VFA were selected to play a state team from the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). The game was played 7 December 1956 with the VAFA side, wearing white jumpers, green collars and the Olympic rings on their chests, winning easily 81 to 55. One of the players chosen for the VFA side was [[Lindsay Gaze]] (although he never got off the bench) who would go on to make his mark in another sport, [[basketball]], rather than Australian Rules.

The MCG's link with its Olympic past continues to this day. Within its walls is the IOC-endorsed [[Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum]].

Forty-four years later at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in Sydney, the ground hosted several [[Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics|soccer]] preliminaries, making it one of a few venues ever used for more than one Olympics.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/2000v1.pdf 2000 Summer Olympics official report.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001109071400/http://www.olympics.com/eng/ |date=9 November 2000 }} Volume 1. p. 393.</ref>

==Commonwealth Games==
{{Main|2006 Commonwealth Games}}{{See also|Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games}}
[[File:MSC, 2006 Commonwealth Games.jpg|thumb|Melbourne Cricket Ground during the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]]]]
The [[2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony|Opening]] and [[2006 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony|Closing]] Ceremonies of the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] were held at the MCG, as well as athletics events during the games. The games began on 15 March and ended on 26 March.

The seating capacity of the stadium during the games was 80,000. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's [[Disabled sports|disability events]] were held within the programme. All athletics events took place within the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while the [[marathon]] and [[racewalking]] events took place on the streets of [[Melbourne]] and finished at the main stadium.

The hosts Australia easily won the medals table with 16 golds and 41 medals in total. Jamaica came second with 10 golds and 22 medals, while [[Kenya]] and [[England]] were the next best performers. A total of eleven [[List of Commonwealth Games records in athletics|Games records]] were broken over the course of the seven-day competition. Six of the records were broken by Australian athletes.

==Rugby union==
[[File:Wallabies vs The British and Irish Lions (Second Test, MGC).jpg|thumb|The [[British and Irish Lions]] compete against the [[Australia national rugby union team|Wallabies]] at the MCG in 2025]]
The first game of Rugby Union to be played on the ground was on Saturday, 29 June 1878, when the Waratah Club of Sydney played Carlton Football Club in a return of the previous year's contests in Sydney where the clubs had competed in both codes of football. The match, watched by a crowd of between 6,000 and 7,000 resulted in a draw; one goal and one try being awarded to each team.<ref>The Argus (Melbourne) 1 July 1878</ref><ref name="mcc-firstfootball">{{Cite book |last=Batchelder, Alf |url=http://www.mcc.org.au/~/media/Files/First%20Football%20Matches%20at%20the%20MCG.pdf |title=The First Football Matches on the Melbourne Cricket Ground |publisher=The Melbourne Cricket Club Library |year=2002 |isbn=0957807414 |page=25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314164458/http://www.mcc.org.au/~/media/Files/First%20Football%20Matches%20at%20the%20MCG.pdf |archive-date=2013-03-14 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The next Rugby match was held on Wednesday 29 June 1881, when the Wanderers, a team organised under the auspices of the Melbourne Cricket Club, played a team representing a detached Royal Navy squadron then visiting Melbourne. The squadron team won by one goal and one try to nil.<ref>The Argus (Melbourne) 30 June 1881</ref>

It was not until 19 August 1899 that the MCG was again the venue for a Union match, this time Victoria v the British Lions (as they were later to be called). During the preceding week the Victorians had held several trial and practice matches there, as well as several training sessions, despite which they were defeated
30–0 on the day before a crowd of some 7,000.<ref>The Age, (Melbourne) 21 August 1899</ref>

Nine years later, on Monday, 10 August 1908, Victoria was again the host, this time to the Australian team en route to Great Britain and soon to be dubbed the First Wallabies. Despite being held on a working day some 1,500 spectators attended to see the visitors win by 26–6.<ref>The Referee, (Sydney) 19 August 1908</ref>

On Saturday, 6 July 1912 the MCG was the venue, for the only time ever, of a match between two [[Victorian Rugby Union]] clubs, Melbourne and East Melbourne, the former winning 9–5 in what was reported to be '... one of the finest exhibitions of the Rugby game ever seen in Victoria.' It was played before a large crowd as a curtain raiser to a State Rules match against South Australia.<ref>The Herald, (Melbourne) 12 July 1912</ref>

On Saturday 18 June 1921, in another curtain raiser, this time to a Melbourne-Fitzroy League game, a team representing Victoria was soundly beaten 51–0 by the South African Springboks in front of a crowd of 11,214.<ref>Sydney Morning Herald, 20 June 1921</ref>

It was nine years later, on Saturday 13 September 1930, that the British Lions returned to play Victoria, again before a crowd of 7,000, this time defeating the home side 41–36, a surprisingly narrow winning margin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past Results|url=http://www.lionsrugby.com/history/match_archives.php?section%3Dreport%26fixid%3D62092 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728235352/https://www.lionsrugby.com/history/match_archives.php?section=report&fixid=62092 |archive-date=28 July 2013 |access-date=2013-04-06}}</ref>

The first post war match at the MCG was on 21 May 1949 when the NZ Maoris outclassed a Southern States side 35–8 before a crowd of close to 10,000.<ref>The Argus (Melbourne) 23 May 1948</ref> A year later, on 29 July 1950, for the first and only time, Queensland travelled to Victoria to play an interstate match, defeating their hosts 31–12 before a crowd of 7,479.<ref>The Argus (Melbourne) 31 July 1950</ref>
In the following year the MCG was the venue for a contest between the New Zealand All Blacks and an Australian XV. This was on 30 June 1951 before some 9,000 spectators and resulted in a convincing 56–11 win for the visitors.<ref>The Argus (Melbourne) 2 July 1951</ref>

Union did not return to the MCG until the late 1990s, for several night time Test matches, both Australia v New Zealand All Blacks as part of the [[Tri Nations Series]]. The first, on Saturday 26 July 1997, being notable for an attendance of 90,119, the visitors decisively winning 33–18 and the second, on Saturday 11 July 1998, for a victory to Australia of 24–16 in front of 75,127 spectators . Australia and New Zealand met again at the MCG during the [[2007 Tri Nations Series]] on 30 June, the hosts again winning, this time by 20 points to 15 in front of a crowd of 79,322.<ref>ESPNScrum; [http://www.espnscrum.com/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331021726/http://www.espnscrum.com/|date=31 March 2015}} Match and Tournament Archives 1997, 1998 and 2007</ref>

Australia returned to the MCG as part of the [[2023 Rugby Championship]]. They were defeated by New Zealand 38–7 in front of a crowd of 83,944.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 Jul 2023 |title=All Blacks Retain TRC title with master class in Melbourne |url=https://super.rugby/therugbychampionship/news/all-blacks-retain-trc-title-with-master-class-in-melbourne/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924074739/https://super.rugby/therugbychampionship/news/all-blacks-retain-trc-title-with-master-class-in-melbourne/ |archive-date=Sep 24, 2023 |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Super Rugby |language=en}}</ref>

In 2025, Australia played the [[British and Irish Lions]] in the second test match of the [[2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia#Australia v British & Irish Lions (second test)|Lions tour]] at the MCG.<ref>{{cite web |title=Preview: Lions won't be bowled over by history at the MCG |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/british-and-irish-lions/2025/0725/1525265-lions-wont-be-bowled-over-by-history-at-the-mcg/ |website=RTE |access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref>
The Lions recovered from a 23–5 deficit to win 26–29 in front of a crowd of 90,307; this was the largest ever crowd for a British & Irish Lions match, and the MCG's largest ever rugby union crowd.<ref>{{cite web |title=Australia 26-29 British and Irish Lions - 2nd Test match report |url=https://www.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/45827450/australia-26-29-british-irish-lions-2nd-test-match-report |website=ESPN |access-date=26 July 2025}}</ref>

==Rugby league==
[[Rugby league]] was first played at the ground on 15 August 1914, with the [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales team]] losing to [[England national rugby league team|England]] 15–21.

The first ever [[State of Origin series|State of Origin]] match at the MCG (and second in Melbourne) was Game II of the [[1994 State of Origin series|1994 series]], and the attendance of 87,161 set a new record rugby league crowd in Australia. The MCG was also the venue for Game II of the [[1995 State of Origin series]] and drew 52,994 the most of any game that series. The second game of the [[1997 State of Origin series]], which, due to the [[Super League war]] only featured [[Australian Rugby League]]-signed players, was played there too, but only attracted 25,105, the lowest in a series that failed to attract over 35,000 to any game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground |url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/venues/melbourne-cricket-ground/results.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326174004/http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/venues/melbourne-cricket-ground/results.html |archive-date=26 March 2014 |access-date=6 July 2013 |website=Rugby League Project |publisher=Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates}}</ref>

The [[Melbourne Storm]] played two marquee games at the MCG in 2000. This was the first time that they had played outside of their normal home ground of [[Olympic Park Stadium (Melbourne)|Olympic Park Stadium]] which held 18,500 people. Their first game was held on 3 March 2000 against the [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] in a rematch of the infamous [[1999 NRL Grand Final]]. Dragons player [[Anthony Mundine]] said the Storm were 'not worthy premiers' and they responded by running in 12 tries to two, winning 70–10 in front of 23,239 fans. This was their biggest crowd they had played against until 33,427 turned up to the 2007 Preliminary Final at [[Docklands Stadium]] which saw Melbourne defeat the [[Parramatta Eels]] 26–10. The record home and away crowd record has also been overhauled, when a match at Docklands in 2010 against St George attracted 25,480 spectators. Their second game attracted only 15,535 spectators and was up against the [[Cronulla Sharks]] on 24 June 2000. Once again, the Storm won 22–16.

It was announced in June 2014 that the ground would host its first State of Origin match since 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smart |first=Nick |date=2 June 2014 |title=State of Origin: Rugby league showpiece to return to Melbourne's MCG for game two in 2015 |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/state-of-origin/state-of-origin-rugby-league-showpiece-to-return-to-melbournes-mcg-for-game-two-in-2015/story-fn31yxah-1226939575510 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140602003104/http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/state-of-origin/state-of-origin-rugby-league-showpiece-to-return-to-melbournes-mcg-for-game-two-in-2015/story-fn31yxah-1226939575510 |archive-date=2 Jun 2014 |website=Fox Sports Australia}}</ref> Game II of the [[2015 State of Origin series|2015 series]] was played at the venue, with New South Wales defeating Queensland 26-18 in front of an all-time record State of Origin crowd of 91,513.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tristan Rayner |date=17 June 2015 |title=MCG sets record Origin crowd of 91,513 |url=http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/06/17/mcg-sets-record-origin-crowd-of-91513/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617192209/http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/06/17/mcg-sets-record-origin-crowd-of-91513/ |archive-date=17 June 2015 |access-date=17 June 2015 |publisher=The Roar}}</ref> The attendance is 19th on the all time rugby league attendance list and the 4th highest rugby league attendance in Australia.

The MCG hosted its fifth State of Origin match on 6 June 2018. In front of a crowd of 87,122, the third largest State of Origin crowd in Victoria, New South Wales defeated Queensland 22–12.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State Of Origin 2018 Series Game 1 |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/state-of-origin-2018/game-1/queensland-vs-new-south-wales/summary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626111348/https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/state-of-origin-2018/game-1/queensland-vs-new-south-wales/summary.html |archive-date=26 June 2022 |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=Rugby League Project}}</ref>

The 2nd game of the [[2024 State of Origin series]] was played at MCG on 26 June 2024 with New South Wales defeating Queensland 38-18 in front of 90,084 spectators.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State of Origin fixtures & draw 2024 |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/rugby-league/nrl/state-of-origin/draw/}}</ref>

{{Wide image|MCG Panorama 6 June 2018.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|Panoramic photo of the MCG in Rugby League mode from the Great Southern Stand during the 1st game of the [[2018 State of Origin series]]}}

==Soccer==
On 9 February 2006 Victorian premier [[Steve Bracks]] and [[Football Australia|Football Federation Australia]] chairman [[Frank Lowy]] announced that the MCG would host a world class soccer event each year from 2006 until 2009 inclusive.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 June 2006 |title=Melbourne football club sees surge in popularity |url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1674867.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123081802/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1674867.htm |archive-date=23 January 2021 |access-date=11 July 2006 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref>
[[File:CG-MelbCricketGround-Pano.jpg|230px|thumb|[[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] and [[Greece national football team|Greece]] playing an [[Friendly match|International Friendly]] at the MCG on 25 May 2006.]]
The agreement sees an annual fixture at the MCG, beginning with a clash between [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] and [[UEFA European Football Championship|European champions]] [[Greece national football team|Greece]] on 25 May 2006 in front of a sell-out crowd of 95,103, before [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] left to contest in the World Cup finals. Australia beat Greece 1–0. The Socceroos also hosted a match in 2007 against Argentina, losing 1–0, as well as [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)|2010 FIFA World Cup qualification]] matches in 2009 against Japan, which attracted 81,872 fans as Australia beat Japan 2–1 via 2 Tim Cahill headers after falling behind 1–0 late in the 1st half. In 2010 it was announced that as a warm up to the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] which the [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australians]] had qualified for, they would play fellow qualified nation [[New Zealand men's national football team|New Zealand]] on 24 May at the MCG.
<!-- Commented out: [[File:MVFC Vs. LFC.jpg|thumb|upright|275px|[[Melbourne Victory]] playing against [[Liverpool FC|Liverpool]] in a pre-season friendly on 24th of July 2013. Liverpool won the game 0-2 with a full strength team, with stars including [[Steven Gerrard]], [[Luis Suarez]], [[Kolo Touré]] and many others.]] -->

Other matches played at the MCG include the following:
* The Olympic final played between [[Soviet Union national football team|USSR]] and [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] on 8 December 1956
* An exhibition match between Australia and [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] played on 13 June 1984
* A [[1998 FIFA World Cup]] qualifier between [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] and [[Iran national football team|Iran]] on Saturday 29 November 1997 with 95,000 in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harper |first=Tony |date=2017-11-29 |title=David Hill reflects on the disastrous night the Socceroos missed out on 1998 World Cup |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/david-hill-reflects-on-the-disastrous-night-the-socceroos-missed-out-on-1998-world-cup/news-story/07f91547af526423ea4d7d2c2c5bdf39 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128200234/https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/david-hill-reflects-on-the-disastrous-night-the-socceroos-missed-out-on-1998-world-cup/news-story/07f91547af526423ea4d7d2c2c5bdf39 |archive-date=2017-11-28 |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=Fox Sports Australia}}</ref> The match was drawn 2–2, with Iran progressing on the away goals rule.
* An exhibition match between [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and Australia on 15 July 1999 with 60,000 people in attendance.
* A friendly match between [[Brazil national football team|Brazil B]] and [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] on 17 November 1999 with 70,795 in attendance.
* An Olympic Tournament group match between [[Italy Olympic football team|Italy]] and the [[Olyroos]] on 13 September 2000 with 93,252 in attendance. Plus other preliminary matches during the Olympics which also included quarter final and the Semi final between Chile and Cameroon who went on to win the gold medal.
* A [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] qualifier between the Australia and [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] on 20 November 2001 with 84,656 in attendance. The Socceroos won 1–0, however Uruguay progressed after later winning the second leg 3–0.
* A friendly match between Australia and the then European champions, Greece – which was played as a warmup to the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]].
* A friendly match between Australia and Argentina with 70,171 in attendance – Argentina had a full strength side with superstars such as [[Lionel Messi]] and [[Carlos Tevez]]
* A friendly match between Australia and the [[New Zealand men's national football team|All Whites]] as a warm up before the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] in which Australia won in the last play of the game.
* A pre-season friendly in July 2013 between [[A-League]] outfit [[Melbourne Victory F.C.|Melbourne Victory]] and [[Premier League]] side [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], as part of Liverpool's pre-season tour of [[Australia]] and [[Southeast Asia|South East Asia]] drawing a crowd of 95,446.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Steven Gerrard delights the MCG crowd as Liverpool beats Melbourne Victory 2-0 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-24/reds-down-gutsy-victory-at-packed-mcg/4841856 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013033624/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-24/reds-down-gutsy-victory-at-packed-mcg/4841856 |archive-date=13 October 2018 |access-date=5 December 2018 |agency=ABC}}</ref>
* The final match of the [[2015 International Champions Cup]] in Australia, between [[Real Madrid]] and [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]], which drew a soccer MCG record crowd of 99,382
* [[Brasil Global Tour]] matches between Argentina and Brazil, and Australia and Brazil in June 2017.
* A friendly between [[Melbourne Victory]] and Manchester United on July 15, 2022.
* A friendly between [[Newcastle United F.C.]] and [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.]] on May 22, 2024, as part of [[Global Football Week Melbourne]]. It was the first time two English teams played each other at the ground.
* Some of the [[2032 Summer Olympics|2032 Olympics]] games, including the quarter-final, are planned to be held at the venue.<ref name="BNE2032AerialVideo">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA5p-gU33eA |title=Brisbane 2032 Master Plan - Aerial Flythrough |date=13 July 2021 |type=Video |language=English |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008053319/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA5p-gU33eA |archive-date=8 October 2023 |url-status=live |quote=Australia's two previous olympic hosts Sydney and Melbourne will also host football prelims and quarterfinals enabling australia-wide engagement |people=[[Australian Olympic Committee]]}}</ref><ref name="AusStadiums0721">{{Cite news |last=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=21 July 2021 |title=Brisbane 2032 Olympic venues announced |url=https://www.austadiums.com/news/921/brisbane-2032-olympic-games-venues-revealed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008053423/https://www.austadiums.com/news/921/brisbane-2032-olympic-games-venues-revealed |archive-date=8 October 2023 |access-date=2021-07-21 |work=AusStadiums}}</ref><ref name="BNE32IOC">{{Cite web |title=IOC Future Host Commission Questionnaire Response - Final Submission - May 2021 |url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/International-Olympic-Committee/Commissions/Future-host-commission/The-Games-of-The-Olympiad/Brisbane-2032-FHC-Questionnaire-Response.pdf |access-date=2021-07-21 |website=www.olympics.com |language=en}}</ref>

{{wide image|MCG Panorama 24 July 2015.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|Panoramic image of the MCG in soccer mode ahead of a pre-season tournament match between [[Real Madrid]] and [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] (24 July 2015).}}

== Concerts ==
The MCG is a popular venue for concert acts, with the first rock concert to be held at the ground was one by [[David Cassidy]] in 1974, In 1978 [[David Bowie]] held a concert there. In 1993, [[Paul McCartney]], [[U2]] and [[Madonna]] held three concerts, with the highest attendances for a music concert at MCG, with ''147,241'' tickets sold.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MCG Attendance Records |url=http://www.mcg.org.au/~/media/Files/MCG_Attendances_Concerts.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327013644/http://www.mcg.org.au/~/media/Files/MCG_Attendances_Concerts.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2014 |access-date=18 April 2014 |website=Melbourne Cricket Ground official website}}</ref> The [[Rolling Stones]] held concerts in 1995, [[Michael Jackson]] in 1996, the [[Three Tenors]] in 1997, [[Elton John]] and [[Billy Joel]] in 1998.

The MCG hosted [[the Police]] with Special Guests [[Fergie (singer)|Fergie]] & [[Fiction Plane]] on [[Australia Day]] 2008; the first MCG concert in 10 years.

The MCG hosted [[Sound Relief]], a concert donating all revenues to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal with performances from [[Kings of Leon]], [[Midnight Oil]], [[Split Enz]], [[Paul Kelly (Australian musician)|Paul Kelly]], [[Hunters & Collectors]], [[Wolfmother]], [[Jet (band)|Jet]] and [[Bliss N Eso]], among others. It was held on 14 March 2009 with 80,518 in attendance.<ref name="ConcertHist">{{Cite web |title=Concerts |url=https://www.mcg.org.au/the-stadium/mcg-history/concerts |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=www.mcg.org.au |language=en}}</ref>

The MCG held a [[Guns N' Roses]] concert on 14 February 2017 with 73,756 in attendance.<ref name="ConcertHist" />

The MCG held a free [[The Killers]] concert on 30 September 2017, after the 2017 AFL Grand Final.

On 3 December 2022, the MCG held a [[Guns N' Roses]] concert as part of the [[Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour]].

On 10 December 2022, the MCG held a [[Billy Joel]] concert as part of the [[Billy Joel in Concert]] tour.

The MCG held an [[Eminem]] concert on 24 February 2019 with 80,708 tickets sold, at the time the highest attendance for a single concert at the MCG. The concert also marked the highest attended show of Eminem's career.<ref name="ConcertHist" />

The MCG hosted two [[Ed Sheeran]] concerts on 2 and 3 March 2023 as part of the [[+–=÷x Tour]]. Playing [[Theatre in the round|in-the-round]], the attendance on 2 March was 108,000, Sheeran's biggest concert and 3 March was 109,500, exceeding the previous concert attendance record set by Eminem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ed Sheeran concerts = new record for MCG |url=https://mcg.org.au/whats-on/latest-news/2023/march/ed-sheeran-concerts-equals-new-record-for-mcg |website=www.mcg.org.au}}</ref>

The MCG hosted three [[Taylor Swift]] concerts on 16, 17, and 18 February 2024 as part of [[The Eras Tour]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-28 |title=Taylor Swift adds two 'final' shows to Australian tour after 'historically unprecedented demand' |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-29/taylor-swift-new-shows-melbourne-sydney-2024-australian-tour/102539160 |access-date=2023-06-28 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> The three concerts were attended by 96,000 people each night,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gariano |first=Francesca |date=19 February 2024 |title=Taylor Swift honors Melbourne crowd after celebrating major 'Eras Tour' milestone |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/taylor-swift-celebrates-eras-tour-milestone-rcna139379 |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]}}</ref> drawing a collective audience of 288,000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne, what do I even say to you after over 288,000 of you came and danced with us in the last 3 nights ??! That was unforgettable. You were on another LEVEL. Thank you for the memories. I'll revisit the ones from this weekend often 🥲🫶 |url=https://www.instagram.com/taylorswift/p/C3gJcnSOkNQ/?img_index=1 |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=Instagram |publisher=Taylor Swift}}</ref> The shows broke the MCG's record for the most tickets sold by one artist at the venue, according to the promoter [[Frontier Touring Company|Frontier Touring]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2024 |title=Taylor Swift {{!}} The Eras Tour new Melbourne + Sydney tickets on sale today |url=https://www.frontiertouring.com/news/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-new-melbourne-sydney-tickets-on-sale-today |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=[[Frontier Touring Company]]}}</ref>

On 23 June 2025, [[AC/DC]] announced the Australian Dates of the [[PWR/UP Tour]], which included a concert at the MCG on 12 November 2025, with special guests [[Amyl and the Sniffers]]. On 26 June 2025, a second concert was announced for 16 November 2025.

==Other uses==

=== Tennis ===
In 1878 the Melbourne Cricket Club's Lawn Tennis Committee laid an asphalt court at the MCG and Victoria's first game of tennis was played there. A second court of grass was laid in 1879 and the first Victorian Championship played on it in 1880. The first inter-colonial championship was played in 1883 and the first formal inter-state match between NSW and Victoria played in 1884 with Victoria winning.

In 1889 the MCC arranged for tennis to be played at the Warehousemen's Cricket Ground (now known as the [[Albert Cricket Ground]]), at Albert Park, rather than at the MCG.

=== Cycling ===
It was at the MCG in 1869 that one of Australia's first bicycle races was held. The event was for [[velocipede]]s, crude wooden machines with pedals on the front wheels. In 1898 the [[Austral Wheel Race]] was held at the MCG attracting a crowd of 30,000 to see cyclists race for a total of £400 in prize money, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winning £240, £120, and £40 respectively.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1898-12-14 |title=The Austral Wheel Race |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121530003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627162250/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121530003 |archive-date=27 June 2022 |access-date=2022-06-28 |work=[[The Referee (newspaper)|The Referee]] |page=6 |via=Trove}}</ref>

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] visited the MCG in 1954 twice for an assembly and display. She attended a Richmond versus Fitzroy match on 5 April 1970,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Memorable Moments |url=http://www.mcg.org.au/History/Australian%20Football/Memorable%20Moments.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717034457/http://www.mcg.org.au/History/Australian%20Football/Memorable%20Moments.aspx |archive-date=17 July 2014 |access-date=9 June 2014 |publisher=Melbourne Cricket Ground}}</ref> and also attended the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony at the ground on 15 March 2006.
* A record for attendance at the grounds was set by religious leader [[Billy Graham]] whose [[Billy Graham's 1959 South Cross Crusades|event in 1959]] was attended by at least 143,000 people.<ref name="Wirt60">{{Cite book |last=Sherwood Eliot Wirt |url=https://archive.org/details/billypersonalloo00wirt/page/60 |title=A Personal Look at Billy Graham, the World's Best-loved Evangelist |publisher=Crossway Books |year=1997 |isbn=978-0891079347 |location=Wheaton, Illinois |page=[https://archive.org/details/billypersonalloo00wirt/page/60 60] |url-access=registration}}</ref>
* [[Pope John Paul II]] held a service at the MCG on 27 November 1986, and a celebration there of the Polish community the next day
* On 5 November 2010, the MCG hosted the Starting Line and opening challenge, where a team member abseiled down one of the light towers, for ''[[The Amazing Race Australia 1]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 November 2010 |title=Amazing Race Australia filming in Melbourne |url=http://www.mediaspy.org/report/2010/11/05/amazing-race-australia-filming-in-melbourne/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110182207/http://www.mediaspy.org/report/2010/11/05/amazing-race-australia-filming-in-melbourne/ |archive-date=10 November 2010 |access-date=24 January 2011 |publisher=The Spy Report}}</ref> This episode aired on 16 May 2011.
* On 6 October 2018, the MCG hosted [[Super Show-Down (2018)|WWE Super Show-Down]].
* On 30 March 2022, the MCG hosted the [[Shane Warne state memorial service|state memorial service]] for [[Shane Warne]].
* On 14 October 2025, the MCG hosted a challenge for ''[[The Amazing Race 39|The Amazing Race US 39]]'' where just like ''[[The Amazing Race Australia 1]]'', teams abseiled down one of the light towers.

==General records==
[[File:Melbourne Cricket Ground from city.JPG|thumb|250px|MCG from a city building.]]

===Sporting records===
* First ever Test Cricket match (Australia v England) – 1877
* First ever One day international Cricket match – 1971
* Highest first class cricket score – 1107 (Victoria v NSW, 1926)
* Australia's first international Lacrosse match (Australia v Canada, 1907, 30,000)
* Fastest ball bowled in a Cricket match in Australia, 3rd fastest in the world – 160.7&nbsp;km/h ([[Shaun Tait]], Australia v Pakistan, 5 February 2010)

===Attendance records===
{|class="wikitable"
|+ All-time highest attendance records at the MCG
|-
!Number
!Attendance
!Event
!Date
|-
|1
|143,000
|[[Billy Graham]], Crusade
|15 March 1959
|-
|2
|121,696
|[[1970 VFL Grand Final|VFL Grand Final]], {{AFL Car}} v {{AFL Col}}
|26 September 1970
|-
|3
|120,000
|40th [[Eucharistic Congress]]
|25 February 1973
|-
|4
|119,195
|[[1969 VFL Grand Final|VFL Grand Final]], {{AFL Car}} v {{AFL Ric}}
|27 September 1969
|-
|5
|118,192
|[[1971 VFL Grand Final|VFL Grand Final]], {{AFL Haw}} v {{AFL StK}}
|25 September 1971
|}

* Highest Australian religious event attendance – 143,750 ([[Billy Graham's 1959 South Cross Crusades|Billy Graham crusade]], 1959)<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Age, Monday 16 March 1959, "Crusade Rally At M.C.G. Draws Huge Crowd" |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2X5VAAAAIBAJ&pg=6135%2C2267874 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407180450/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2X5VAAAAIBAJ&pg=6135%2C2267874 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref>
* Highest VFL/AFL attendance at a home-and-away match – 99,256 (Melbourne v Collingwood, 1958).<ref>See [[1958 VFL season|1958 VFL Season: Notable Events]]</ref>
* Highest VFL/AFL attendance at a final and highest Australian sporting event attendance – 121,696 (Collingwood v Carlton, 1970)<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 September 1970 |title=Incredible Win by Carlton in VFL |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110463079 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703022115/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110463079 |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=1 May 2017 |publisher=[[Canberra Times]]}}</ref>
* Highest [[Association football|soccer]] crowd at MCG (Clubs International Friendly) – 99,382 ([[2015 International Champions Cup|International Champions Cup]], [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] v [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], 24 July 2015)
* Highest [[Association football|soccer]] crowd at MCG (National Team vs National Team) – 97,103 (Australia v Greece, 2006)
* Highest attendance in a single Test Cricket match across all five days – 373,691 (2024 [[Boxing Day Test]], Australia v India)
* Highest single-day attendance in Test Cricket history – 91,092 (2013 [[Boxing Day Test]], Day 1 – Australia v England)
* Highest One Day International Cricket crowd – 93,013 ([[2015 Cricket World Cup Final]], Australia v New Zealand)
* Highest Twenty20 International Cricket crowd – 90,293 ([[2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup]], Super 12 round – India v Pakistan, 23 October 2022)
* Highest Twenty20 Domestic Cricket crowd – 80,883 (Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades, [[2015–16 Big Bash League season]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=MCG attendance records |url=http://www.mcg.org.au/History/Attendances.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329085210/http://www.mcg.org.au/History/Attendances.aspx |archive-date=29 March 2015 |access-date=1 April 2015 |publisher=mcg.org.au}}</ref>
* Highest women's cricket crowd - 86,174 ([[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final]], Australia Women v India Women)
* Highest State of Origin rugby league crowd – 91,513 (Game II, 17 June 2015)
* Highest rugby union crowd, and highest attendance in [[British & Irish Lions]] history – 90,307 ([[2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia#Australia_v_British_&_Irish_Lions_(second_test)|2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia]], 26 July 2025)

===Stadium records===
* World's first all colour cricket scoreboard with instant replays
* World's first electronic sight screens
* World's first [[super sopper]]
* World's first scrolling signage at an oval-shaped ground
* First time an international Cricket match was played on a one-piece portable pitch, [[Boxing Day Test]], 2000
* World's tallest floodlights<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 December 2014 |title=Top 10 ICC World Cup Cricket Venues in the World |url=http://www.sportyghost.com/top-10-icc-world-cup-cricket-venues-world/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104938/http://www.sportyghost.com/top-10-icc-world-cup-cricket-venues-world/ |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |website=Sporty Ghost!}}</ref>

== Test cricket records ==
[[File:Don_Bradman_1930.jpeg|thumb|Don Bradman still holds the record for most runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.]]
[[File:Jack_Hobbs_1926.jpg|thumb|326x326px|Jack Hobbs scored 1,178 runs in 18 innings at the ground; a record for non-Australians.]]
[[File:Matthew_Hayden_(2307390126).jpg|thumb|295x295px|Matthew Hayden scored six centuries, second only to Bradman with nine.]]

=== Batting ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Most career runs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=runs;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185224/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=runs;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-03 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Runs
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''1,671''' (17 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Don Bradman]]
|1928–1948
|-
|'''1,338''' (28 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Ricky Ponting]]
|1995–2011
|-
|'''1,284''' (30 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Steve Waugh]]
|1985–2003
|-
|'''1,272''' (36 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Allan Border]]
|1978–1993
|-
|'''1,257''' (31 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Greg Chappell]]
|1971–1983
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Most career runs (non-Australia)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=runs;team=1;team=140;team=25;team=29;team=3;team=4;team=40;team=5;team=6;team=7;team=8;team=9;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183415/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=runs;team=1;team=140;team=25;team=29;team=3;team=4;team=40;team=5;team=6;team=7;team=8;team=9;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Runs
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''1,178''' (18 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Jack Hobbs]]
|1908–1929
|-
|'''724''' (7 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Herbert Sutcliffe]]
|1925–1933
|-
|'''661''' (15 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Colin Cowdrey]]
|1954–1975
|-
|'''606''' (11 innings)
|{{Flagicon|WIN}} [[Viv Richards]]
|1975–1988
|-
|'''505''' (12 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Wally Hammond]]
|1928–1947
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Highest individual scores<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=batted_score;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting;view=innings |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184734/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=batted_score;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting;view=innings |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Runs
!Player
!Date
|-
|'''307''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Bob Cowper]]
|11 Feb 1966
|-
|'''270''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Don Bradman]]
|1 Jan 1937
|-
|'''268''' v. Pakistan
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Graham Yallop]]
|26 Dec 1983
|-
|'''257''' v. India
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Ricky Ponting]]
|26 Dec 2003
|-
|'''250''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Justin Langer]]
|26 Dec 2002
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Most centuries<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=hundreds;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184732/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=hundreds;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Centuries
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''9''' (17 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Don Bradman]]
|1928–1948
|-
|'''6''' (19 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Matthew Hayden]]
|1996–2008
|-
|'''5''' (18 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Jack Hobbs]]
|1908–1929
|-
|'''5''' (19 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Steve Smith (cricketer)|Steve Smith]]
|2010–2024
|-
|'''4''' (7 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Herbert Sutcliffe]]
|1925–1933
|-
|'''4''' (13 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Bill Lawry]]
|1962–1971
|-
|'''4''' (28 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Ricky Ponting]]
|1995–2011
|-
|'''4''' (31 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Greg Chappell]]
|1971–1983
|-
|'''4''' (36 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Allan Border]]
|1978–1993
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Highest batting average (3+ matches)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=batting_average;qualmin2=3;qualval2=matches;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=batting |access-date=2025-10-22 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Average
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''128.53''' (17 innings, 4 [[Not out|NO]])
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Don Bradman]]
|1928–1948
|-
|'''103.42''' (7 innings, 0 NO)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Herbert Sutcliffe]]
|1925–1933
|-
|'''101.20''' (5 innings, 0 NO)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Bob Cowper]]
|1964–1968
|-
|'''87.00''' (6 innings, 1 NO)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Alastair Cook]]
|2006–2017
|-
|'''83.20''' (7 innings, 2 NO)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Jack Gregory (cricketer)|Jack Gregory]]
|1920–1925
|}

=== Bowling ===
[[File:Dennis_Lillee_stat.jpg|thumb|Dennis Lillee has taken the most wickets at the ground, with 82. Statue at the MCG pictured.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+Most career wickets<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190546/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-06 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Wickets
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''82''' (26 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Dennis Lillee]]
|1972–1983
|-
|'''56''' (21 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Shane Warne]]
|1992–2006
|-
|'''50''' (26 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Nathan Lyon]]
|2011–2025
|-
|'''46''' (13 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Hugh Trumble]]
|1894–1904
|-
|'''45''' (14 innings)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Graham McKenzie]]
|1962–1968
|}
[[File:Sydney_Francis_Barnes_1910.jpg|thumb|Sydney Barnes took 35 wickets in ten innings; the most of any non-Australian.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+Most career wickets (non-Australia)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;team=1;team=140;team=25;team=29;team=3;team=4;team=40;team=5;team=6;team=7;team=8;team=9;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185130/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;team=1;team=140;team=25;team=29;team=3;team=4;team=40;team=5;team=6;team=7;team=8;team=9;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-06 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Wickets
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''35''' (10 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Sydney Barnes]]
|1902–1912
|-
|'''27''' (8 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Bobby Peel]]
|1885–1895
|-
|'''24''' (6 innings)
|{{Flagicon|IND}} [[Jasprit Bumrah]]
|2018–2024
|-
|'''22''' (8 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Billy Bates]]
|1881–1885
|-
|'''22''' (8 innings)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Alec Bedser]]
|1947–1951
|-
|'''22''' (8 innings)
|{{Flagicon|PAK}} [[Sarfraz Nawaz]]
|1972–1983
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Best innings figures<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling;view=innings |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190643/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling;view=innings |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-06 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Figures
!Player
!Date
|-
|'''9/86''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|PAK}} [[Sarfraz Nawaz]]
|10 Mar 1979
|-
|'''9/121''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Arthur Mailey]]
|11 Feb 1921
|-
|'''8/68''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Wilfred Rhodes]]
|1 Jan 1904
|-
|'''8/71''' v. West Indies
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Graham McKenzie]]
|26 Dec 1968
|-
|'''8/81''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Len Braund]]
|5 Mar 1904
|-
|'''8/143''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Max Walker]]
|8 Feb 1975
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Best match figures<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling;view=match |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184209/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=wickets;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling;view=match |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-06 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Figures
!Player
!Date
|-
|'''15/124''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Wilfred Rhodes]]
|1 Jan 1904
|-
|'''14/102''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Billy Bates]]
|19 Jan 1883
|-
|'''13/77''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Monty Noble]]
|1 Jan 1902
|-
|'''13/110''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Fred Spofforth]]
|2 Jan 1879
|-
|'''13/148''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Bruce Reid]]
|26 Dec 1990
|-
|'''13/163''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Sydney Barnes]]
|1 Jan 1902
|-
|'''13/165''' v. Australia
|{{Flagicon|RSA|variant=1928}} [[Hugh Tayfield]]
|24 Dec 1952
|-
|'''13/236''' v. England
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Arthur Mailey]]
|11 Feb 1921
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Lowest strike rate (4+ innings)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=bowling_strike_rate;qualmin1=4;qualval1=innings_bowled;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703021909/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=bowling_strike_rate;qualmin1=4;qualval1=innings_bowled;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=bowling |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Strike rate
!Player
!Period
|-
|'''22.6''' (6 wickets)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[John Hodges (cricketer)|John Hodges]]
|1877–1877
|-
|'''29.4''' (7 wickets)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Cameron Green]]
|2020–2022
|-
|'''31.1''' (10 wickets)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Laurie Nash]]
|1932–1937
|-
|'''32.6''' (35 wickets)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Bruce Reid]]
|1985–1991
|-
|}
[[File:Steve_Smith_drives,_2017-18_Ashes_(cropped).jpg|thumb|353x353px|Steve Smith made 165*, as Australia totalled 8/624 declared in 2016.]]

=== Team records ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Highest innings scores<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=team_score;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=team;view=innings |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184650/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=team_score;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=team;view=innings |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-07 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Score
!Team
!Date
|-
|'''8/624d'''
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. Pakistan
|26 Dec 2016
|-
|'''604'''
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. England
|26 Feb 1937
|-
|'''600'''
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. England
|1 Jan 1925
|-
|'''589'''
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]] v. Australia
|9 Feb 1912
|-
|'''578'''
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. South Africa
|17 Feb 1911
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Lowest completed innings<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground Cricket Team Records & Stats {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/lowest_innings_totals.html?class=1&id=61&type=ground |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703021945/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/lowest_innings_totals.html?class=1;id=61;type=ground |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=2021-12-29 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Score
!Team
!Date
|-
|'''36'''
|{{Flagicon|RSA|variant=1928}} [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]] v. Australia
|12 Feb 1932
|-
|'''45'''
|{{Flagicon|RSA|variant=1928}} [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]] v. Australia
|12 Feb 1932
|-
|'''61'''
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]] v. Australia
|1 Jan 1902
|-
|'''61'''
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]] v. Australia
|5 Mar 1904
|-
|'''67'''
|{{Flagicon|IND}} [[India national cricket team|India]] v. Australia
|6 Feb 1948
|}

=== Partnership records ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Highest partnerships<ref>{{Cite web |title=Partnership records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=fow_score;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=fow;view=innings |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185004/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=61;orderby=fow_score;template=results;tournament_type=2;tournament_type=3;type=fow;view=innings |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=2021-07-07 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Runs
!Wicket
!Players
!Match
!Date
|-
|'''346'''
|6th
|[[Don Bradman]] (270) & [[Jack Fingleton]] (136)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]]
|1 Jan 1937
|-
|'''323'''
|1st
|[[Wilfred Rhodes]] (179) & [[Jack Hobbs]] (178)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]] v. {{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]
|9 Feb 1912
|-
|'''298'''
|2nd
|[[Bill Lawry]] (205) & [[Ian Chappell]] (165)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|WIN}} [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]]
|26 Dec 1968
|-
|'''283'''
|1st
|[[Herbert Sutcliffe]] (176) & [[Jack Hobbs]] (154)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]] v. {{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]
|1 Jan 1925
|-
|'''279'''
|6th
|[[Andrew Symonds]] (156) & [[Matthew Hayden]] (153)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]]
|26 Dec 2006
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Highest partnerships by wicket<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Cricket Ground Cricket Team Records & Stats {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/fow/highest_partnerships_by_wicket.html?class=1&id=61&type=ground |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703021910/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/fow/highest_partnerships_by_wicket.html?class=1;id=61;type=ground |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=2021-12-28 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
!Runs
!Wicket
!Players
!Match
!Date
|-
|'''323'''
|1st
|[[Wilfred Rhodes]] (179) & [[Jack Hobbs]] (178)
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]] v. {{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]
|9 Feb 1912
|-
|'''298'''
|2nd
|[[Bill Lawry]] (205) & [[Ian Chappell]] (165)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|WIN}} [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]]
|26 Dec 1968
|-
|'''249'''
|3rd
|[[Don Bradman]] (169) & [[Stan McCabe]] (112)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]]
|26 Feb 1937
|-
|'''262'''
|4th
|[[Virat Kohli]] (169) & [[Ajinkya Rahane]] (147)
|{{Flagicon|IND}} [[India national cricket team|India]] v. {{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]
|26 Dec 2014
|-
|'''223*'''
|5th
|[[Don Bradman]] (127*) & [[Arthur Morris]] (100*)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|IND}} [[India national cricket team|India]]
|1 Jan 1948
|-
|'''346'''
|6th
|[[Don Bradman]] (270) & [[Jack Fingleton]] (136)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]]
|1 Jan 1937
|-
|'''185'''
|7th
|[[Graham Yallop]] (268) & [[Greg Matthews]] (75)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|PAK}} [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]]
|26 Dec 1983
|-
|'''173'''
|8th
|[[Nip Pellew]] (116) & [[Jack Gregory (cricketer)|Jack Gregory]] (100)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]]
|31 Dec 1920
|-
|'''180'''
|9th
|[[JP Duminy]] (166) & [[Dale Steyn]] (76)
|{{Flagicon|RSA}} South Africa v. {{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]
|26 Dec 2008
|-
|'''120'''
|10th
|[[Reggie Duff]] (104) & [[Warwick Armstrong]] (45*)
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] v. {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[England cricket team|England]]
|1 Jan 1902
|}
All records correct as of 19 October 2024.

==ODI records==
* '''Highest ODI Total:''' 5/355 – Australia vs. England, 22 November 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team records {{!}} One-Day Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;ground=61;template=results;type=team;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
* '''Highest Individual ODI Score:''' 180 (151) – [[Jason Roy]], England vs Australia, 14 January 2018<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} One-Day Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;ground=61;template=results;type=batting;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
* '''Best ODI Innings Bowling Figures:''' 6/42 – [[Ajit Agarkar]], India vs. Australia, 9 January 2004 and [[Yuzvendra Chahal]], India vs. Australia, 18 January 2019<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} One-Day Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;ground=61;template=results;type=bowling;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
* '''Highest ODI Partnership:''' 269 (for the first wicket) – [[Travis Head]] & [[David Warner (cricketer)|David Warner]], Australia vs. England, 22 November 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Partnership records {{!}} One-Day Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;ground=61;template=results;type=fow;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
Last updated 26 May 2025.

==Twenty20 International records==
* '''Highest Twenty20 Total:''' 5/186 – India vs. Zimbabwe, 6 November 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team records {{!}} Twenty20 Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=3;ground=61;template=results;type=team;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
* '''Highest Individual Twenty20 Score:''' 89 (43) – [[David Warner (cricketer)|David Warner]], Australia vs. South Africa, 11 January 2009<ref>{{Cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Twenty20 Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=3;ground=61;template=results;type=batting;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
* '''Best Twenty20 Innings Bowling Figures:''' 4/30 – [[Josh Hazlewood]], Australia vs. England, 31 January 2014<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bowling records {{!}} Twenty20 Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=3;ground=61;template=results;type=bowling;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
* '''Highest Twenty20 Partnership:''' 113 (for the fifth wicket) – [[Virat Kohli]] & [[Hardik Pandya]], India vs. Pakistan, 23 October 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Partnership records {{!}} Twenty20 Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=3;ground=61;template=results;type=fow;view=innings |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>
Last updated 26 May 2025.

==VFL/AFL records==
* '''Highest Team Score:'''
** 32.24 (216) – {{AFL Haw}} vs. {{AFL Ess}}, 1 August 1992
** 31.25 (211) – {{AFL Ric}} vs. {{AFL StK}}, 13 April 1985
** 32.19 (211) – {{AFL Gee}} vs. {{AFL Ric}}, 27 May 1989
** 32.17 (209) – {{AFL NM}} vs. {{AFL Ric}}, 6 April 1990
** 31.19 (205) – {{AFL Haw}} vs. {{AFL NM}}, 30 April 1988
* '''Largest Winning Margin:'''
** 165 pts – {{AFL Haw}} (197) def. {{AFL PA}} (32), 13 August 2011
** 162 pts – {{AFL Haw}} (193) def. {{AFL GWS}} (31), 8 July 2012
** 160 pts – {{AFL Haw}} (216) def. {{AFL Ess}} (56), 1 August 1992
** 151 pts – {{AFL Ric}} (187) def. {{AFL Fit}} (36), 25 August 1996
** 148 pts – {{AFL Ess}} (184) def. {{AFL Mel}} (36), 6 April 2013
* '''Lowest Team Score:'''
** 0.8 (8) – {{AFL Mel}} vs. {{AFL SM}}, 13 July 1912
** 1.2 (8) – {{AFL Car}} vs. {{AFL Mel}}, 8 June 1903
** 0.9 (9) – {{AFL Mel}} vs. {{AFL Ess}}, 13 May 1911
** 0.9 (9) – {{AFL Uni}} vs. {{AFL Col}}, 19 August 1911
** 1.6 (12) – {{AFL Ric}} vs. {{AFL Mel}}, 27 June 1908
* '''Most Goals in a Game:'''
** 14 – [[Gary Ablett Sr.]], {{AFL Gee}} vs. {{AFL Ess}}, 1 May 1993
** 14 – [[Gary Ablett Sr.]], {{AFL Gee}} vs. {{AFL Ric}}, 27 May 1989
** 14 – [[John Longmire]], {{AFL NM}} vs. {{AFL Mel}}, 7 July 1990
** 13 – [[Matthew Lloyd]], {{AFL Ess}} vs. {{AFL Syd}}, 10 April 1999
** 12 – [[Jason Dunstall]], {{AFL Haw}} vs. {{AFL Ric}}, 15 August 1992
* '''Most Disposals in a Game:'''
** 54 – [[Tom Mitchell (Australian footballer)|Tom Mitchell]], {{AFL Haw}} vs. {{AFL Col}}, 24 March 2018
** 53 – [[Gary Ablett, Jr.]], {{AFL GC}} vs. {{AFL Col}}, 3 June 2012
** 51 – [[Lachie Neale]], {{AFL BL}} vs. {{AFL Ric}}, 25 August 2019
** 50 – [[Tom Mitchell (Australian footballer)|Tom Mitchell]], {{AFL Haw}} vs. {{AFL Col}}, 20 May 2017
** 49 – [[Dane Swan]], {{AFL Col}} vs. {{AFL Haw}}, 21 July 2012
* '''Most Games Played:'''
**243 – [[Scott Pendlebury]] ({{AFL Col}})
**200 – [[Kevin Bartlett (Australian rules footballer)|Kevin Bartlett]] ({{AFL Ric}})
**199 – [[Steele Sidebottom]] ({{AFL Col}})
**186 – [[Dustin Fletcher]] ({{AFL Ess}})
**176 – [[Shane Edwards]] ({{AFL Ric}})
* '''Most Goals Kicked:'''
** 464 – [[Matthew Richardson (footballer)|Matthew Richardson]] ({{AFL Ric}})
** 461 – [[Matthew Lloyd]] ({{AFL Ess}})
** 408 – [[Jack Riewoldt]] ({{AFL Ric}})
** 386 – [[David Neitz]] ({{AFL Mel}})
** 380 – [[Wayne Carey]] ({{AFL Ade}}, {{AFL NM}})
All records correct as of 16 April 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFL Tables - M.C.G |url=https://afltables.com/afl/venues/mcg.html |access-date=16 April 2024 |website=afltables.com}}</ref>

==Statues==
===Founding statue===
[[File:Tom wills statue.jpg|thumb|Statue of cricketer and Australian rules football pioneer [[Tom Wills]] umpiring an 1858 football match]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!width=175| Statue
!width=175| Sport
!width=175| Unveiled
!width=175| Location
!width=50| Link
|-
| [[Tom Wills]]<br /><small>''Commemorative sculpture for the first game of Australian rules football''</small>
| ''[[Cricket]] and<br />[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2001
| Outside MCG (between Gates 2 and 3)
| [http://www.funderestudios.com.au/html/fundere_commissions8.html Non-MCG]
|}

<gallery class="center">
File:Ron barassi statue.jpg|[[Ron Barassi]]
File:Leigh matthews statue.jpg|[[Leigh Matthews]]
File:Dick reynolds statue.jpg|[[Dick Reynolds]]
File:Bradmanstatue.jpg|[[Don Bradman]]
File:DennisLilleeStatue.JPG|[[Dennis Lillee]]
</gallery>

===Tattersall's Parade of Champions===
The [[Tattersall's (gambling organisation)|Tattersall's]] Parade of the Champions undertaking is a gift to the people of Australia by Tattersall's and is a focal point of the Yarra Park precinct.

The MCG is a magnet for tourists worldwide and the statues reinforce the association between the elite sportsmen and women who have competed here and the stadium that rejoiced in their performances.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!width=175| Statue
!width=175| Sport
!width=175| Unveiled
!width=175| Location
!width=50| Link
|-
| [[Donald Bradman|Sir Donald Bradman]]
| ''[[Cricket]]''
| 2003, May
| Outside gate 5
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/don-bradman MCG]
|-
| [[Betty Cuthbert]]
| ''[[Track and field]]''
| 2003, August
| Outside gate 3
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/betty-cuthbert MCG]
|-
| [[Ron Barassi]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2003, September
| Outside gate 4
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/ron-barassi MCG]
|-
| [[Keith Miller]]
| ''[[Cricket]]''
| 2004, February
| Outside gate 5
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/keith-miller MCG]
|-
| [[Dick Reynolds]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2004, June
| Outside gate 6
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/dick-reynolds MCG]
|-
| [[Shirley Strickland]]
| ''[[Track and field]]''
| 2004, November
| Outside gate 3
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/shirley-strickland MCG]
|-
| [[Haydn Bunton, Sr.]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2005, April
| Outside gate 6
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/haydn-bunton MCG]
|-
| [[Leigh Matthews]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2005, August
| Outside gate 4
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/leigh-matthews MCG]
|-
| [[Bill Ponsford]]
| ''[[Cricket]]''
| 2005, December
| Outside gate 1
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/bill-ponsford MCG]
|-
| [[Dennis Lillee]]
| ''[[Cricket]]''
| 2006, December
| Outside gate 1
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/dennis-lillee MCG]
|}

===Australia Post Avenue of Legends===
[[File:Shane Warne Statue 2022.jpg|thumb|The statue of Shane Warne in 2022. The statue became a makeshift memorial to Warne shortly after his death]]
In 2010, the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) announced an expansion to the list of sporting statues placed around the MCG precinct in partnership with [[Australia Post]].

The Australia Post Avenue of Legends project aimed to place a minimum of five statues in Yarra Park, extending from the gate 2 MCC members entrance up the avenue towards Wellington Parade. The most recent addition of Kevin Bartlett was unveiled in March 2017.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!width=175| Statue
!width=175| Sport
!width=175| Unveiled
!width=175| Location
!width=50| Link
|-
| [[Shane Warne]]
| ''[[Cricket]]''
| 2011, December
| Outside gate 2
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/shane-warne MCG]
|-
| [[Norm Smith]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2012, September
| Near Jolimont Station
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/norm-smith MCG]
|-
| [[John Coleman (Australian footballer)|John Coleman]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2013, September
| Outside gate 2
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/john-coleman MCG]
|-
| [[Neil Harvey]]
| ''[[Cricket]]''
| 2014, January
| Near Jolimont Station
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/neil-harvey MCG]
|-
| [[Jim Stynes]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2014, September
| Outside gate 2
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/jim-stynes MCG]
|-
| [[Kevin Bartlett (Australian rules footballer)|Kevin Bartlett]]
| ''[[Australian rules football]]''
| 2017, March
| Near Jolimont Station
| [http://www.mcg.org.au/things-to-do/sporting-statues/kevin-bartlett MCG]
|}

==See also ==
{{Portal bar|Cricket|Sports|Victoria}}
* [[Cricket in Victoria]]
* [[Australian landmarks]]
* [[History of Test cricket (to 1883)]]
* [[History of Test cricket (1884 to 1889)]]
* [[History of Test cricket (1890 to 1900)]]
* [[List of Test cricket grounds]]
* [[List of international cricket centuries at the Melbourne Cricket Ground]]
* [[List of international cricket five-wicket hauls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground]]
* [[National Sports Museum]], a museum dedicated to Australian sport, located within the Melbourne Cricket Ground
* [[List of Australian rules football statues]], a list of Australian rules football-related statues across Australia
* [[List of national stadiums]]
* [[Lists of stadiums]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Cashman, Richard (1995) ''Paradise of Sport'' Melbourne: [[Oxford University Press]]
* Cuthbert, Betty (1966) ''Golden Girl''
* Gordon, Harry (1994) ''Australia and the Olympic Games'' Brisbane: [[University of Queensland Press]]
* Hinds, Richard (1997) ''Low blows. Sport’s top 10'' [[Sydney Morning Herald]] 1 November
* Linnell, Garry (1995) ''Football Ltd'' Sydney: Ironbark Pan Macmillan Australia
* Pollard, Jack (1990) ''Australia'' [[Test Match Grounds]] London: Willow Books
* ''Plan of the Town and Suburbs of Melbourne 1843''
* Vamplew, Wray; Moore, Katharine; O’Hara, John; Cashman, Richard; and Jobling, Ian [editors] (1997) ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Sport'' Second Edition Melbourne: Oxford University Press

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website|www.mcg.org.au|MCG Official website}}
* [http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/mcg/vt-mcg.html Virtual tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060127013941/http://www.sportsvenue-technology.com/projects/melbourne/ Description at sportsvenue-technology.com]
* {{Austadiums|71}}
* [http://www.aroundthegrounds.bellestorie.com/mcg/mcg.html "Around the Grounds" – Web Documentary – MCG]

{{S-start-collapsible|header={{S-sta|et}}}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Helsinki Olympic Stadium|Helsingin olympiastadion]]<br />[[Helsinki]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Summer Olympics]]<br />Main Venue (Melbourne Cricket Ground)|years=[[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Stadio Olimpico]]<br />[[Rome]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Helsinki Olympic Stadium|Helsingin olympiastadion]]<br />[[Helsinki]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Athletics competitions]]<br />Main Venue|years  = [[Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics|1956]]}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Stadio Olimpico]]<br />[[Rome]]}}
{{s-bef|before =[[Helsinki Olympic Stadium|Helsingin olympiastadion]]<br />[[Helsinki]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[Summer Olympics]]<br />[[Association football at the 1956 Summer Olympics|Football Men's Finals]] (Melbourne Cricket Ground)|years = [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]]}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Stadio Flaminio]]<br />[[Rome]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Eden Gardens]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[Cricket World Cup]]<br />[[List of Cricket World Cup finals|Final Venue]]|years = [[1992 Cricket World Cup|1992]]}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Gaddafi Stadium]]<!-- [[1996 Cricket World Cup]] -->}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Wankhede Stadium]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Cricket World Cup<br />Final Venue|years = [[2015 Cricket World Cup|2015]]}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Lord's]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Melbourne landmarks}}
{{navboxes
|title = Articles related to Melbourne Cricket Ground
| list =
{{Test Cricket Grounds AUS}}
{{Big Bash League Cricket grounds}}
{{Melbourne Stars}}
{{International cricket centuries by ground}}
{{International cricket five-wicket hauls by ground}}
{{AFL Grounds}}
{{NRL Grounds}}
{{Collingwood Football Club}}
{{Hawthorn Football Club}}
{{Melbourne Football Club}}
{{Richmond Football Club}}
{{Australian Football League}}
{{Summer Olympic stadia}}
{{1956 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{2000 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues athletics}}
{{Olympic venues field hockey}}
{{Olympic venues football}}
{{Commonwealth Games stadia}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Melbourne Cricket Ground| ]]
[[Category:Australian Football League grounds]]
[[Category:Test cricket grounds in Australia]]
[[Category:Athletics venues in Australia]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Olympic stadiums]]
[[Category:Olympic athletics venues]]
[[Category:Olympic field hockey venues]]
[[Category:Soccer venues in Melbourne]]
[[Category:National stadiums|Australia]]
[[Category:Venues of the 2032 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Venues of the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:2006 Commonwealth Games venues]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Australian National Heritage List]]
[[Category:Melbourne Football Club]]
[[Category:Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Music venues in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Australia]]
[[Category:1853 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1853]]
[[Category:Rugby league stadiums in Australia]]
[[Category:Melbourne Storm]]
[[Category:Philip Cox buildings]]
[[Category:Women's Big Bash League]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA)]]
[[Category:Sport in the City of Melbourne (LGA)]]
[[Category:Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale]]
[[Category:George V]]