In 1859 members of the Melbourne Football Club devised the rules which became the codified rules of Australian Rules football.
The Victorian Football League (VFL), which was founded in 1897, held its grand final for the first time at the MCG in 1902.
Aside from a period in World War II when the MCG was taken over for military purposes, the 1991 grand final at VFL Park, Waverley when the MCG was being upgraded, the 2020 AFL Grand Final played at The Gabba and the 2021 AFL Grand Final played at Optus Stadium due to COVID-19 restrictions on mass gatherings in Melbourne, every VFL and, later, Australian Football League, grand final has been played at the MCG.
Nowadays, there are approximately 45 home and away matches plus a few finals each season, including the grand final, with around three million people each year making the pilgrimage to watch their team search for the Holy Grail – the premiership.
Along with the Grand Final, the MCG also hosts highlights of the regular season including ANZAC Day and ANZAC Day Eve matches between Collingwood and Essendon and Melbourne and Richmond, Dreatime at the 'G between Essendon and Richmond and Big Freeze at the 'G between Melbourne and Collingwood.
VFL/AFL at the 'G Statistics
1859
first Australian football match at the MCG
121,696
highest attended match (1970 VFL Grand Final)
99,256
highest attended match, regular season (1958, Melbourne v Collingwood)
