What is the MCG?
The MCG, or Melbourne Cricket Ground, is Australia's largest stadium, holding about 100,000 people. It is home to Australian rules football and cricket in Melbourne.
The ground was established in 1853 in Yarra Park, near the city centre. It hosted the first Test cricket match in 1877, between Australia and England, and the first One Day International in 1971.
The MCG was the main stadium of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and also hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Every September, it is the venue for the AFL Grand Final, one of the biggest days on the Australian sporting calendar.
The Boxing Day Test
Each December 26, crowds pack the MCG for the first day of the Boxing Day Test, a much-loved tradition. Ground tours take visitors to the members' pavilion, dressing rooms and the Australian Sports Museum.
Melburnians often call the stadium simply the G. Its light towers and stands are visible from across the city, and statues of sporting legends line the outside.
Did You Know?
The MCG's record attendance is more than 130,000, set at a Billy Graham evangelical rally in 1959.