Sporting Capital of the World

[Collins]

Very few cities can boast the sporting credentials of Melbourne, Australia - Olympic host city, Grand Slam tennis, Formula One grand prix. And that's just for starters.

Throughout the world, it's easy to find a passionate soccer supporter. And a passionate NFL fan in the USA. Likewise cricket in India. And ice-hockey in Canada.

But you would be hard-pressed to match a Melburnian for his sheer love of sport. For him, sport is life itself and when you look at his environs, it starts to make sense.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a city like no other. Its culture is based around sport. Where as Sydney dinner table small talk will evolve around property prices and schools, in Melbourne it's around sport, and Australian football in particular. Every politician is also an avid and genuine football fan, as is every cab driver, whether of Greek, Italian or Chinese heritage.

But sport in Melbourne is much, much more than Australian football. It's one of the few cities in the world that can lay claim to the following:

* Host city of the Summer Olympic Games (1956)

* Host city to one of the four Grand Slam tennis championships

* Host city to a round of the World Formula One Grand Prix

* Host city to a round of the World Superbike Championship

* Host city to the Commonwealth Games (2006)

* Host city to various world championships, including the World Swimming Championships (2007)

As well, Melbourne hosts major golf tournaments, including the Australian Masters, where Tiger Woods' world began to implode last November.

And each and every sport is supported by passionate and knowledgable Victorians by their thousands. Virtually every major venue is within walking distance of the heart of the Melbourne CBD.

Australian Football League - Aussie Rules

AFL, or Aussie Rules as many know it, is a unique game, forged on suburban rivalry, and now with a vibrant and robust national game. In Melbourne, it dominates the sporting landscape.

Rival code opponents of AFL take joy in pointing out that it is a game offering no international pathway for players. Also, that it is a big fish in a small pond. Indeed, it is a particularly big fish in the Australian pond.

The millions who have been converted to the religion that is Aussie Rules scoff at such barbs. With rivalry as intense as could be imagined in any sport throughout the world, and average crowds of close to 40,000 per game per week, they know that every match is a massive event in itself.

Most weeks feature at least one game attracting in excess of 65,000. The annual Anzac Day clash between keen rivals Collingwood and Essendon draws around 90,000 fans for what is, at the end of the day, a regular season match with no more at stake than any other of the seven matches that weekend. Collingwood's paid-up membership base now exceeds 50,000 supporters.

Each year, the AFL grand final attracts close to 100,000 fans - the record of 121,696 was set for a memorable Carlton comeback win over Collingwood in 1970 before the redevelopment of the stadium. In fact, if capacity was unlimited, it's fair to assume the matchday crowd could reach at least 150,000.

Melbourne Cricket Ground - MCG

The temple of this religious sporting mecca is the giant stadium referred to locals as simply 'the G'. To the rest of us, it's called the MCG, or the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

This is where up to 100,000 gather in the summer heat of Boxing Day for the start of the annual Test cricket match between Australia and either England, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa or, possibly, Bangladesh.

And it is the arena where the '56 Olympic flame burnt for 16 days. And where, of course, the AFL heart beats loudest.

Olympic Games

Melbourne hosted the Summer Olympics in 1956 as the world emerged from the gloom and despair of World War II. The Games attracted a record 72 nations, and it signalled the start of the glamour years for the Olympic movement.

These were the Olympics were fun returned to sport and politics played no part, with one notable exception. The Melbourne Olympics began on November 22, 1956 - 18 days after 200,000 Soviet troops invaded Hungary to put down a major revolt against Communist rule.

On December 6, Hungary and the Soviet Union met in a water polo match which quickly degenerated into a bloody brawl on water. The referee stopped the fighting and the match with Hungary leading 4-0 as police were called in to prevent a riot. Hungary was awarded the match, despite its premature completion.

Formula One

Adelaide was the initial host city for the Australian round of the World Formula One Championship, hosting the race around its inner city street circuit from 1985-95.

Such was the success of the Adelaide event, it was hard to imagine any other city matching it in terms of crowd attendances and enthusiasm.

But, then again, it went to Melbourne, where it's now regarded as one of the highlights on the Formula One championship calendar.

[Gooderham 1st MRB]

*Slow Clap*

[Le 1st MRB]

*Slow Clap*

*Golf Clap*

F1 racing. Good stuff.

[S. Kirby]

Not only is it host to WSBK, but also MotoGP at Phillip Island, a race that has been won by Australian Casey Stoner four years running.

[Morton]

[insert joke about how Australia started as a prison colony.]

[Kabasares]

*Cricket Chirp*

Jk