If you’ve never been in the state of Victoria during the Australian Football League’s (AFL) finals season you can’t begin to imagine the ‘footy fever’ that takes the area by storm.
As the big day approaches, hotels, shoe stores, cafes and any other retail establishment can be counted on to decorate in their favourite team colours.
Expect to see signs and flags in the windows of lots of houses in areas where the local team is in the Grand Final too!
Rubbish bins in the street suddenly find themselves with streamers and corflute printed supporter signs. Light up signs normally reserved for advertising the week’s specials are suddenly lit up in support of the grand final favourite. A visit to a fast food outlet is almost guaranteed to present supporter jerseys sported over the top of the standard issue uniform in the days before the game.
It’s an exciting time to be visiting, especially in the capital city of Melbourne.
At the centre of all this excitement and crazy supporter behavior is the grand final venue, the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (the MCG).
The MCG has a capacity of around 100,000 made up of mostly seating and around 5000 standing room tickets, which may or may not be put on sale at any given time. On grand final day you won’t find a single seat empty. Ticket prices are at a premium and you’ll need to seriously plan ahead for you to get your hands on your own set.
The grassy surface has hosted everything from the Olympic Games in 1956 and the Commonwealth Games in 2006 to international cricket competitions like the very fist test and of course the AFL Grand Final every year.
The facilities at the MCG are first class. Over the years the grounds and supporter areas have been remodeled to include a wide selection of food and beverage areas, ATMs, betting areas and ample bathroom facilities including parent rooms equipped with change equipment, family toilets and microwaves.
If you’re taking children to the MCG you should visit the customer service officer and get free wristbands for your kids. Just write your mobile number or your seat number on the wristband and you can relax in the event you get separated from your children at this large venue.
The MCG occasionally runs open days that give sports fans the opportunity to explore parts of the MCG that would normally be off limits to the public. Check out the change rooms and the cricket viewing rooms that you’ve only seen on TV. Take along a ball and have a kick around on the hallowed ground where champions have played over the years. For Melbourne football fans this is a popular day out with the family.
The MCG is a sporting venue that rates up there along with Yankee Stadium, Wembley Stadium and Lord’s Cricket Ground. If this is on your list of must-see venues try your very hardest to visit footy experience!
