The People’s Ground – the home of football, a meeting place, and a place of connection with an unrivalled history across its 170 years of existence.
Today on March 18 2023, the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) and the MCG proudly celebrates the 3000th VFL/AFL match at the iconic venue which will be played between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs.The game of Australian Rules Football has grown in many different aspects, with the People’s Ground continuing to evolve with it as the home of the Football. A place where greatness is felt in every sense.
From the original rules of the game preserved within the stadium, to the Lysander Bell on display in the MCC Museum (used as a football siren from 1922 until 1948 before replaced by the sound of the modern day siren), the MCG is proud to showcase and celebrate its history through iconic MCG tours, the MCC Library and Australian Sports Museum.
The previous milestone of this nature, being the 2000th VFL/AFL game which was contested between Carlton and Adelaide on September 8, 2001, was the first Elimination final of that year’s finals series.
That game would see Carlton defeat the Crows by 68 points, 17.16 (118) to 6.14 (50), with Matthew Lappin kicking five goals for the Blues.
Since then, the MCG has hosted countless memorable and pulsating finals matches, Grand Finals, ANZAC Day matches, Dreamtime at the ‘G, along with the now annual Big Freeze at the ‘G in support of FightMND.
With a capacity of 100, 024 for AFL matches, the sound and sight of a sold-out MCG is something to be cherished.
Across the 3,000 games played at the MCG, there have been some huge crowds including:
Largest attendance at a VFL/AFL match: 121,696
- 1970 VFL Grand Final, Collingwood v Carlton, Saturday 26 September.
Largest attendance at a VFL/AFL Home and Away match: 99,256
- VFL Round 10 1958 (Queen’s Birthday Holiday), Monday June 16.
When it comes to winning margins, there’s a few huge victories in the history books:
Biggest Winning margin in a VFL/AFL match at the MCG: 165 points
- Hawthorn 31.11 (197) defeated Port Adelaide 5.2 (32) by 165 points AFL Round 21 2011, Saturday August 13.
Highest Score in a VFL/AFL match at MCG: 216 points
- Hawthorn 32.24 (216) defeated Essendon 8.8 (56) AFL Round 9 1992, Saturday August 1.
Current Collingwood player Scott Pendlebury holds a pretty significant individual record at the MCG:
Most VFL/AFL Games at MCG: 225 games
- Scott Pendlebury: 225 games for Collingwood. His first game was at the MCG v Brisbane Lions AFL Round 10 2006, Saturday June 3.
Here’s a few other significant individual performances:
Most VFL/AFL Goals at MCG in career: 464 goals
- Matthew Richardson: 464 goals for Richmond on the MCG from 1993 to 2009. His first game and goal was at the MCG v St Kilda, AFL Round 7, 1993, on Saturday May 8.
Most goals in a VFL/AFL match at the MCG: 14 goals
- Gary Ablett Snr. 14 goals 2 behinds, for Geelong v Richmond VFL Round 9 1989, Saturday May 27.
- Gary Ablett Snr.: 14 goals 7 behinds, for Geelong v Essendon AFL Round 6 1990, Saturday May 1.
- John Longmire 14 goals 2 behinds, for North Melbourne v Melbourne AFL Round 14 1990, Saturday July 7.
Most disposals at the MCG: 54 disposals
- Tom Mitchell: 54 disposals (20 kicks, 34 handballs, incl. 8 marks) for Hawthorn v Collingwood AFL Round 1 2018, Saturday March 24.
