Sport is an important part of Australian culture, and Melbourne is often referred to as the sporting capital of Australia.
No matter your knowledge and passion levels, Melbourne will have a sport and team for you.
Australian Rules Football
The teams
“Aussie Rules” or AFL is closer to a religion than a sport for many Melbournians! Unique to Melbourne is the fact there are 10 professional teams based in or close to different suburbs of the city. This leads to fierce rivalry and a great atmosphere at matches.
If you live in Melbourne, chances are there is a professional team based in your area:
- Melbourne Demons
- Carlton Blues
- Collingwood Magpies
- Essendon Bombers
- Western Bulldogs
- Hawthorn Hawks
- St Kilda Saints
- North Melbourne Kangaroos
- Richmond Tigers
- Geelong Cats (located an hour’s drive from Melbourne).
The league – AFL & AFLW
AFL is Australia’s most popular sport and Melbourne is truly the heartland of footy. There are a further 8 teams located in other parts of Australia to make up the 18 teams in the national league – the AFL.
The men’s season runs from March until September, and the women’s season from October to December.
Where to watch
The teams play most of their matches at the MCG and Marvel Stadium as well as smaller venues in Victoria throughout the season.
The AFL website has further information on match times, venues and tickets.
Rugby League (NRL & NRLW)
The teams
Rugby league is less popular in Melbourne than AFL, however, the Melbourne Storm – the NRL team from Melbourne – have been one of the most successful teams in history.
The League – NRL
The Storm play in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play matches from March until October against teams from Queensland, New South Wales, Canberra and New Zealand throughout the season.
Where to watch
The Storm play their home games at AAMI Park which is located in the CBD, making it easily accessible on public transport.
Tickets can be bought through the Melbourne Storm website or on Ticketek and can cost around $35.
Cricket
The teams
Cricket is Australia’s most popular summer sport and both domestic and international matches are played in Melbourne.
Melbourne is home to two Big Bash League teams, the Melbourne Renegades and the Melbourne Stars.
The Australian National teams also host countries every summer and play a variety of matches at the MCG.
The league
The Renegades and Stars have both men’s and women’s teams that play in the Big Bash League, which is an exciting and fast-paced competition with teams located throughout Australia and featuring top international talent.
Where to watch
The Renegades and Stars play matches at the MCG, Marvel Stadium and GMHBA stadium (Geelong) from October to January.
Ticketing information:
Netball
The team
The Melbourne Vixens are the Victorian team in the Super Netball league. Netball is one of Australia’s most popular sports and has strong participation around the country.
The league
The Vixens compete in the Super Netball League in Australia as one of 8 teams.
Where to watch
The Vixens play their home games at John Cain Arena and Magaret Court Arena and tickets can be bought through their website.
Soccer (A-League)
The teams
Melbourne is the cultural heart of Australian Soccer, with strong participation and attendance.
It is home to three professional teams competing in the highest division of Australian Soccer.
The league
The A-League is Australia’s premiere league of Australian soccer, with 14 teams located throughout Australia and New Zealand. Teams are made up of both local and international talent.
The season runs from October through May.
Where to watch
Matches are primarily played at AAMI Park in Melbourne, with other matches being played occasionally at smaller regional venues.
Ticket information can be found on the A-League website.
Other sports
Melbourne also hosts major sporting events like the Australian Open in tennis and the F1 every year. Other sports include:
- Basketball – Melbourne United and S. E Melbourne Phoenix
- Baseball – Melbourne Aces
Where to watch sport if you can’t attend the games
If you can’t get to a game, there are many great pubs and bars in Melbourne to watch the match with other fans.
AFL: Each team will have club-specific pubs in the area, however, some options may include:
Cricket: Imperial Hotel
For broadcast rights, channel 9 airs NRL games free to air, channel 7 shows the AFL and the Cricket, while KAYO and Fox Sports show sports matches but are subscription-based streaming services.
