A great addition to our itinerary in Melbourne was to do the MCG Tour with a visit to the National Sports Museum. It is so much fun being a tourist in your home town!
We parked nearby and I ran in to Rod Laver Arena to pick up my Grand Final tickets. I was a bit sooky about the location of the seats (they are pre-allocated seats) that resulted in a rant back over the footbridge to the MCG. There was definitely a buzz in the air with it being the start of Grand Final week so going to the MCG was the perfect way to kick it off. I previously did my first ever library work placement at the MCC Library but had not been into the MCC Members since the new stand was built. I was looking forward to taking Bill behind the scenes and even if you aren’t a footy fan, it is a great place to experience with no-one else there.
Here is Bill hamming it up for the camera at Rod Laver Arena –
The tour was great – we went out onto the ground, where the interchange benches are, back up to the areas where the cricketers sit during their games, around and into the Collingwood change rooms and press area and then right through the MCC Members Stand and into the Long Room and members areas. If you are in Melbourne I really recommend you do this tour – it was a great way to spend the afternoon. I most certainly got goosebumps along the way wondering what would be happening at the ground just a few days after we had been there!
Here are some photos…
The hallowed turf of the ‘G –
View of Melbourne and Jolimont rail yards from the top of the Ponsford Stand –
Panoramic of an empty MCG –
Looking at the Ponsford Stand and where my home and away Collingwood seat is located –
View from the Ponsford –
Bill at the G –
Sitting where the coaches sit for the after-match press conferences –
Changeroom locations for the Grand Final had been decided already!
CHANGEROOMS!
Dress code for the Long Room –
I love traditions like these –
We then spent a while at the National Sports Museum which was absolutely fantastic and a huge improvement on the old museum. Bill got to bowl like a cricketer for the first time, have a go at netball and various footy manouvers as well as check out displays like the AFL Hall of Fame. We didn’t even get the chance to visit the Olympic displays as we run out of time!
We then spent that night at the Lomond Hotel with Ev and Mark – eating good food and way too much pavlova! It was also Brownlow night so we raced home to see Dane Swan win while also making fun of some of the ridiculous dresses…! Bill found the format of the count really interesting and it was a good one to watch as it neared the end.
Another jam packed day in Melbourne and we showed no sign of letting up as Tuesday would be spent out at Healesville Sanctuary and Maroondah Reservoir.