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MCG

WinsDrawsLosses%
6521059851.74
(to end 2023)


Years: 1897 -

First game: July 1859 match vs South Yarra
First VFA game: 1877 June Match vs Carlton
First VFL game - Round 2, 1897 vs Geelong

The Melbourne Cricket Club had already had stints at William Street, the present Southern Cross Station and the banks of the Yarra River near where Crown Casino sits today before moving to their current location. The club were thrown out of their Spencer Street home in 1853 when a train line to Port Melbourne was planned to be run straight through the ground.

On September 23, 1853 Victoria's first governor Charles La Trobe donated part of the Richmond police paddock to the club and the "Hallowed Turf" was born.

At first, the Melbourne Football Club were denied access to the ground itself, forced to play on land in the park outside. With the ground unfenced it proved a highly unsuitable set-up. Spectators would wander onto the field at will, and on occasions where enormous crowds turned up the game could be confined to a narrow corridor on the field. It is said that once when confidence tricksters and merchants refused to move off the field, Henry Harrison and his men were forced to chase them off.

The club made an application to the city in 1867 to fence the ground off, and even offered to put 600p towards laying down turf. The city, however, rejected the plan and planted trees instead. Early after the start of the next season some of the trees needed to be removed as they had become dangerous for the players. The ball would often land in the tree branches, leaving players forced to wait for it to fall out and into their hands.

1869 saw the return of matches to the cricket ground. A formal request of the trustees of the ground was accepted by the Board of Land and Works, and the cricket ground was thrown open to other sports briefly but the MCC itself treated the idea with suspicion and barred football from their ground for many years. One of the few concession to football was the construction of a grandstand which could hold 2000 fans and be reversed to face either the cricket or football ground.

It took until 1877 for another match to be played on the main arena, and after a match against Carlton grossed 500p the club decided to allow six months each for cricket and football to use the ground. Sensing the opportunity to make more money the MCC invited Hotham, Carlton and Geelong to use the ground as well in 1879.

With the Reds slumping in the 1880's and gate receipts proving disappointing the MCC resolved to move Melbourne off the ground for the 1885 season in favour of the more popular Carlton but the original tenants were soon back at the ground when their new arena proved unsuitable.

During the latter stages of World War II the ground was occupied by the US Army and renamed "Camp Murphy". The Demons were forced to move to Punt Road until late in the 1946 season.

The Demons lost their exclusive hold on the ground when Richmond moved in for the start of 1965. In 1984 North Melbourne started to move in, and by the end of the next year they had abandoned Arden Street for a full time home at the 'G.

The famous "Smokers' Stand" was demolished at the end of the 2003 season to make way for a new members stand.

Records

Wins over 100 points

MarginRoundOpponent
1 141 Round 9, 1926 Hawthorn
2 122 Round 7, 1937 North Melbourne
3 121 Round 21, 1993 Richmond
4 118 Elimination Final 1987 North Melbourne
5 114 Round 17, 1940 Hawthorn
6 113 Round 10, 1964 Richmond
7 109 Round 9, 2018 Carlton
8 107 Round 6, 1939 South Melbourne
9 105 Round 6, 2004 Carlton
9 105 Round 13, 1948 St. Kilda
9 105 Round 1, 1971 South Melbourne

Highest Score

ScoreRoundOpponent
1 28.14.182 Round 21, 1986 North Melbourne
1 28.14.182 Round 5, 1991 North Melbourne,
3 26.20.176 Round 17, 1940 Hawthorn
4 27.13.175 Round 20, 1977 St. Kilda
5 26.19.175 Round 21, 1993 Richmond
6 26.18.174 Round 1, 1994 Geelong
7 27.11.173 Round 19, 1990 Sydney
8 24.23.167 Round 2, 1978 Fitzroy
8 24.23.167 Round 15, 1979 South Melbourne
10 25.16.166 Round 7, 1937 North Melbourne
10 25.16.166 Preliminary Final 1948 Collingwood

Biggest Loss

MarginRoundOpponent
1 148 Round 2, 2013 Essendon
2 127 Round 1, 1996 Geelong
2 127 Round 14, 1990 North Melbourne
4 122 Round 15, 1986 Essendon
5 116 Round 10, 1986 Carlton
5 116 Round 18, 1997 Sydney
5 116 Round 19, 2008 Geelong
8 113 Round 17, 1996 North Melbourne
9 109 Round 15, 1919 Collingwood
10 107 Round 15, 1906 Fitzroy

Lowest Score

ScoreRoundOpponent
1 0.8.8 Round 12, 1912 South Melbourne
2 0.9.9 Round 3, 1911 Essendon
3 2.1.13 Round 15, 1906 Fitzroy
3 1.7.13 Round 9, 1899 Collingwood
3 1.7.13 Round 6, 1898 South Melbourne
6 2.7.19 Round 15, 1913 South Melbourne
7 2.8.20 Round 12, 1989 Geelong
7 2.8.20 Round 12, 1898 Essendon
7 3.2.20 Round 8, 1897 South Melbourne
10 2.10.22 Round 11, 1907 Collingwood
10 3.4.22 Round 12, 1914 MCG

Most goals in a game

GoalsPlayerGame
1 12 Norm Smith 1941
1 12 Robert C Johnson 1941
1 12 George Margitich 1931
4 11 Allen Jakovich 1991
4 11 George Margitich 1930
6 10 Garry Lyon 1994
6 10 Fred Fanning 1947
6 10 Harry Harker 1921
9 9 David Williams 1986
9 9 Allen Jakovich 1993
9 9 David Neitz 2004
9 9 Jeff Farmer 2000
9 9 Robert Walters 1979
9 9 Fred Fanning 1947
9 9 Robert C Johnson 1927
9 9 Harry Davie 1926
9 9 Harry Brereton 1909

Lowest Score (1980-)

ScoreRoundOpponent
1 2.8.20 Round 12, 1989 Geelong
2 3.10.28 Round 12, 2014 Collingwood
3 4.10.34 Round 5, 2009 Adelaide
3 3.16.34 Round 21, 2014 Greater Western Sydney
5 5.6.36 Round 2, 2013 Essendon
5 5.6.36 Round 17, 2014 Geelong
7 5.8.38 Round 7, 1996 Sydney
7 5.8.38 Round 21, 2013 Fremantle
7 5.8.38 Round 6, 2014 Sydney
105.11.41 Round 19, 2008 Geelong
106.5.41 Round 22, 2008 Richmond
106.5.41 Round 12, 2011 Collingwood

Pre-season and exhibition matches (from 1897-)

YearOpponentResultScore
1898 Public Schools UnknownUnknown
1901 Combined Juniors WIN141-28
1905 Essendon Association WIN125-19
1906 Essendon Association WIN89-24
1906 West Melbourne WIN69-57
1907 Leopold WIN87-18
1908 Collegians WIN122-36
1908 Combined Juniors UnknownUnknown
1910 South Yarra WIN81-50
1913 Combined Juniors WIN141-28
1913 Collingwood District UnknownUnknown
1913 Hawthorn District WIN110-41
1914 Collingwood District UnknownUnknown
1919 Army UnknownUnknown
1935 Camberwell WIN132-46
1954 Ormond UnknownUnknown
1970 Port Adelaide WIN74-61
1971 Norwood WIN179-56
1972 Port Adelaide WIN122-35
1973 Carlton WIN129-76
1974 Richmond WIN89-94
1975 South Melbourne LOSS60-85
1976 Hawthorn WIN95-80
1976 Richmond WIN115-85
1977 Richmond LOSS107-141
1978 Collingwood LOSS100-162
1978 Richmond LOSS122-158
1984 North Melbourne WIN138-100
1987 Richmond WIN141-110
1988 West Coast LOSS84-135

AFLW

WinsDrawsLosses%
200100


First Game - 2022 Preliminary Final vs Brisbane Lions

Biggest win

MarginRoundOpponent
1 4 2022 Preliminary Final Brisbane Lions
2 2 Round 2, 2022 spring season North Melbourne

Highest score

ScoreRoundOpponent
1 5.3.33 2022 Preliminary Final Brisbane Lions
2 3.8.26 Round 2, 2022 spring season North Melbourne

Lists
Lowest attendances at the MCG since 1987

Media
Age - 12/07/2003
Age - 24/09/2003

Links
Boyles Football Photos
Scoreboard Pressure - MCG
Wikipedia