Sports precinct

It's official! Melburnians love sport, and just about anything will attract an audience. The city and the Sports Precinct are linked by Birrarung Marr park, next to Federation Square. From here, the William Barak pedestrian bridge leads directly to the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Sports precinct is the home of Australian Rules football which starts in March and culminates on the last Saturday in September with possibly the country's greatest spectacle, the Grand Final, witnessed by over 100,000 fans. And the venue that hosts such a spectacle? None other than the magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground, known as the MCG or just 'the G'. Cricket is also a major event here, with the Boxing Day Test drawing large crowds from all over the country.

Museum of sport
The National Sports Museum, located within the G, has an amazing collection of sporting memorabilia and information, and houses the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, and the Australian Football Exhibition (including the Australian Football Hall of Fame).

Tennis anyone?
Melbourne Park is home to tennis and the annual Australian Open, held in January each year. Rod Laver Arena is 'centre court', Margaret Court Arena is 'show court one', Hisense Arena can be a tennis court and can also cater for basketball and cycling. There are also three show courts, an indoor tennis complex with five courts and 20 outdoor tennis courts. Olympic Park Stadium was originally built as a warm-up track for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and now hosts football, rugby league and athletics.

How to get there
By tram: Number 70 (Wattle Park) from Flinders Street and Richmond Station: stops at Melbourne Park (Rod Laver Arena/Melbourne Park Function Centre) and Hisense Arena; Number 48 (North Balwyn) and Number 70 (Vermont South): stops adjacent to the MCG on Wellington Parade.

Free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle: Stop 3. The complete trip includes 13 stops and takes approximately an hour and a half. The bus runs every 30 minutes between 9.30am and 4.30pm daily (excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day) and includes an on-board commentary.

By train: Richmond Station (Lilydale, Belgrave, Alamein, Glen Waverley, Frankston, Cranbourne/Pakenham and Sandringham lines); Jolimont Station (Epping and Hurstbridge lines); Flinders Street Station (all lines).

By foot: From Federation Square along the Yarra River (10-15 minutes).