Meat pies, beer, 101,000 crazed fans and the Hawthorn Hawks are all key ingredients for a great weekend at the G – short for MCG – short for Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ahh, the great Melbournians and their love of shortening words until they are just a letter. The G is the largest gaming ground in Melbourne, a city that prides itself in being a sports capital of the world. It can house, from what I have been told, 101,000 fans and it hosts an array of sports from a rare rugby game, to a beloved multi-day cricket match, and, of course, the Melbourne favorite – Australian Rules Football games (footy).
Footy is a game born in Melbourne and enjoyed in their winter season.
I barrack for the Hawthorn Hawks, meaning I am a fan of that team and when you are a fan of a team you are destined to become a member, paid supporter, of that team. I went to this weekend’s game and it was the Hawks vs. the Bulldogs. The Hawks are 3rd on the ladder and if I am right, which I usually am, they will be in the grand final this year versus the Magpies and we will WIN!!!!!
And in case you were wondering how the game of footy is played…imagine a mix of rugby, soccer, and American football where the players don’t wear pads, run nearly half marathons every game, and tackle each other at full speed. Injuries such as broken legs, arms, jaws, and even fractured pelvises regularly.
Click here to see a quick sample of footy in action.
It is a brutal sport and it is a sport every American can grow to love – I have!
Cricket is such a fascinating sport — I’d love to see a match at some point in my life. And Melbourne seems the perfect place!
Now about those meat pies…
😉
While the MCG is a great cricket venue, the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) and the WACA (Western Australian Cricket Academy) are nicer venues with a more intimate feel.
@RABicle – we haven’t had a chance to check those venues out but thanks for the tip
sounds riveting! i’ve never attended a cricket match, but now i’m all about it. i’ll have to add it to my 3 year traveling agenda 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Bless your hearts! My wife (American) and I (Ozzie) are on the way home to Melbourne with our two year old daughter after 15 years overseas, mostly on the East Coast of the US. It was wonderful to read your blog, particularly the last two posts about Vegemite (something that I feed my infant daughter for fear that she might not like it due to her American mother) and the post on footy. I am looking forward to re-discovering the things that you have so obviously found, thought not always with the same joy as me (Vegemite). Keep up this wonderful, entertaining blog and we will follow… and I forgive you for being a Hawk supporter, they are only a little above Collingwood (and they are at the bottom of the list) in my book!
Marcus – I am not sure if I want to even ask who your barrack for but due to our loss last night against Geelong I am facing the day now with my head down. We are now in New Zealand for the weekend and I couldn’t find anywhere where they televised the footie. The main reason of course was due to the opening of the Rugby world cup. Thank you for reading our blog and please keep coming back. Oh and we will of course try keep up with your blog.
wow. very nice thank you very much 🙂
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Javid, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it
We have moved to Melbourne from Sydney. Not interested in sport, more the arty types – but our son fell in love with the Bulldogs. We have really enjoyed the game ever since – as much the game of footy as the ‘game’ of the tribes and their pilgrimage to the weekly games and the tipping. Interesting what Melbourne can do to you.
@Moli – Laura is more into the arts than the sports but I managed to drag her along to one game. 🙂 It’s part of the Melbourne experience.
Aren’t they the “Tassie Hawks” now??? Because our money wasting state government is forking out several million dollars sponsorship a year just to have them come here (Launceston) for a couple of games a year. I’m not anti Hawks but it just irks me that when so much money needs spending on essential services the political bozos will waste so much on sport at a time when hospitals, schools etc are facing big funding cutbacks. Just sayin’
You got some really great photos in the slide show too by the way
P.S. I’ve only ever been to one game at the G many many years ago as a teenager on a school trip to Melbourne, It was a Carlton/Geelong game & the atmosphere of the crowds going wild at goal scoring was so electric. It was an awesome treat.
@Tony – Thanks for the compliments on the photos. Yes, the crowd atmosphere really makes the game. Pretty incredible
I like it !! I’m from Brazil 🙂
Thanks for posting !!
I wish i liked sports but cars are my thing. great story though:)
carn the dogs
Melbourne cricket ground is a sight to see, it is perhaps the biggest cricket ground in the world in terms of capacity. Rugby in winter and Cricket in Summer. Have a chance to witness some great cricket games there. For newbie’s a 20/20 game will be more entertaining. Would love to be there perhaps on the Finals day at world cup cricket. It is quite likely that Melbourne will get the Final when Australia gets to host the World Cup.
wow very nice
nicely written! enjoyed!
Footy – the world’s greatest sport. Check out the mark of the year (possibly the century) by Andrew Walker from the mighty Carlton Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERTcZV7uTFU. Fun fact: an Aussie Rules football field is approximately 200m long, twice the length of a soccer pitch. Second fun fact: the first ever game of footy took place in the late 1800s between two Melbourne boys schools. The pitch was over a kilometre long, the game lasted for three days and only a handful of goals were scored!
@panfilocastaldi – Great information. Had no idea the game lasted for three days. Can you imagine that nowadays?
This place is spectacular, thanks for the information to the game …. lol I do not think this mixture could not so great … but one day I will be traveling there soon will know … this wonderful place, and the first group of tourists came and went encantandísimos. now only have to wait … to come soon. Congratulations.
Use to watch Aussie Football at 3:00AM Pacific time in the US–it was a little looser at the time…No jock straps, baggy, shorter shorts–and low and behold Aussie schlongs were hanging out. Our gay friends totally enjoyed watching the action.
You’re commenting at the right end of the season. Hope your Hawks take on my Swans for a real great Grand Final experience!!
@Westie – that’d be okay by me as long as the Hawks are victorious. Ha
Now that’s a real man’s sport! Insane! :o)
I really like the interpretation sort of breaks the language barrier. Very nice. 🙂
I love Footy….
http://www.NoahSife.com
Spring is upon us in Melbourne which means that footy fever is in the air!
Shame our teams lost this weekend (your Hawks and my Bombers) but I will silently cheer on your Hawks next weekend because they are, after all, my ‘second’ team 🙂
@libishski – Yeah, it was a bummer. But it’s definitely not over. And I’ll let it slide that you barrack for the Bombers since you also cheer for the Hawks. Thanks for checking out our blog!
Gotta love the “G” the best sporting arena in the country perhaps the world.
wow. nice blog i want to be this good at my blog to:D if u wanna help me with something u can add me to your list my yahoo ID is furamuky@yahoo.com
I love only european football :))
Don’t forget the music at the G. Madonna, U2, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, even the Pope have all had their time on that hallowed ground.
Too bad being beaten by the Cats. Good luck against the Swans on Friday night and the mighty Buddy and his knee….let’s not go there 😦
Congrats on being FP!
@metan – yeah we were not too happy about the loss and about Buddy but onward right? Thanks for the shout-out and for swinging by to check out our blog
OMG I love foosball it is so cool.
Congrats on being freshly pressed! Love it. Not much in love with footy though. Looking forward to cricket. 🙂
@Megan – Thanks! Ryan is beside himself with “celebridom” Haha.
nice blog! enjoyed reading…!
Nicely written post
I love Aussie Rules… (both a sport and a statement, in my books). It’s hardcore and exciting and just… everything. Once you’ve seen the best players play, there’s just no going back.
Up the Mighty Bombers!!!
@brokenbelladonna – I’m really loving it too. Go HAWKS! 🙂
[…] him. Best.Wive.Ever. The Aurora stadium in Launceston is about 70,000 seats smaller than the MCG but it allows you to get right up there close to the action. It was a perfect day for a game, […]
[…] “The Big Game” was a few weeks ago. No, I’m not talking the Superbowl. I’m talking about the AFL Grand Final between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Hawks. If you’re an avid reader of our blog it won’t be hard to guess what team we barracked for as you’ll have seen several previous posts about the Hawks. […]