Season 2010 - Official AFL Website of the Richmond Football Club

MCG

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• MCG Website

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is Australia's sporting Mecca and considered the Home of Football. With a capacity of about 100,000 (95,000 seated) it is home to the AFL Grand Final and other matches such as the Anzac Day Blockbuster between Essendon and Collingwood each season. These days its title is somewhat misleading, for football dominates the ground during winter, while only a relative handful of international cricket matches are played there in summer. Nonetheless, the MCG has a special place in the hearts of all football fans in Victoria.

There are enough options within several hotels within walking distance of the ground and an abundance of choices in the CBD.

The Hilton Hotel in Wellington Parade regularly hosts sporting teams when they in town. Metro Inns and Flag Choice are both located in Jolimont Road, just a long drop punt to the MCC members' entrance.

At the other end of the scale, the Royal Hotel in Punt Road offers accommodation and there’s a multitude of backpacker hostels and budget hotels in the city.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is located in Yarra Park, relatively close to the CBD. It is well serviced by public transport. From the city, getting to the ground by train or tram is a breeze.

Walking from the city is also an option if you have the time and want to get a good feel of Melbourne. Parking is plentiful in Yarra Park but avoid driving there late, particularly on Friday nights.

By train - Richmond and Jolimont Stations are the nearest to the MCG. From the city, Hurstbridge and Epping line trains stop at Jolimont while Glen Waverley, Lilydale, Belgrave, Sandringham, Pakenham and Cranbourne line trains stop at Richmond.

By tram - From the city, catch the number 70 Wattle Park tram, the number 48 North Balwyn tram and the number 75 tram to East Burwood. All of these trams run along Flinders Street and pass by the MCG.

On foot - The MCG is easily accessible from the Central Business District via a network of dedicated pedestrian paths linking the MCG with Vodafone Arena and Melbourne Park. It's a 10 minute stroll along the trail from Federation Square beside the river - just follow the signs.

Water taxi
Those with some time on their hand and a flair for something different may want to travel by water to the MCG. Water Taxis now leave the Docklands and Southbank at regular intervals and alight on the Yarra River just near the National Tennis Centre at Melbourne Park, which is the other side of a footbridge from the ground.

The Tigers made the short journey across Yarra Park to the MCG in 1965 and since then have made the ground their own with the atmosphere at Richmond home games truly unique.

The move to the MCG heralded the start of tremendous success for the Tigers, who ended a 24 year premiership drought by winning the 1967 premiership and quickly added the 1969, 73, 74 and 80 flags as well.

The Tigers’ inspirational theme song, particularly when its huge army of fans bellow out the words ‘Yellow and Black’ brings the huge venue alive while its close proximity to the suburb of Richmond gives the MCG the feel of a suburban home ground for the Tiger faithful.

In recent years the Tigers have played in some of the ground’s most memorable matches such as the thrilling draw with Essendon in 1995 and then the club’s famous come from behind win over the Bombers in the second semi final later that year.

With the exception of the traditional Anzac Day Essendon-Collingwood matches, Richmond games now regularly attract the largest crowds at the MCG with crowds in excess of 80,000 the norm rather than the exception when the Tigers’ take on arch-rivals such as Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon.