Tony Jones is the face of Melbourne sports reporting for Channel Nine. |  |
Is Melbourne Australia's sporting capital?
It’s almost embarrassing to engage in a debate as to which city is superior in its love for all things sport. Melbourne has, is and always will be streets ahead of Sydney.
Let’s start with the AFL.
Collingwood alone averages crowds of around 60,000 for each of its matches. That’s the equivalent, on some weekends, of three NRL games.
In fact, the AFL attendances for this year’s home and away season was a staggering 6,238,876. The finals series has so far attracted 440,000.
The grand final is a different proposition altogether. Such is the demand for a ticket to the big game, fans start camping outside the ground three days before the game itself.
But enough of the AFL, there’s much more to Melbourne’s sporting DNA.
Not least the Spring Carnival.
The race that stops the nation is fast become the race that stops the world. Ok, maybe not the world, but certainly parts of it as connections from the United States, Europe and Asia target not just the Cup, but other Group One classics such as the Cox Plate.
Even those completely clueless as to the difference between a mare and a stallion lap up every second of the Carnival. It has become as much about fashion and socialising as it has the actual racing.
Quite possibly the biggest winner of Melbourne’s Spring Carnival is Melbourne itself with an estimated $570 million being pumped into the local ecomony last year.
Helped largely by the 70,000 hats and 60,000 pairs of shoes sold.
The Formula One Grand Prix also allows Melbourne to showcase itself to the world.
It’s an interesting beast this one.
The State’s bean counters are happy to admit the four day fuel-fest runs at a loss of more than $50 million each year. But regardless of the government of the day, ALP or Coalition, no-one is willing to give it up. More specifically, no-one is quite willing to give it up to Sydney!
Again, opening our doors to the world, the Australian Open tennis in January.
There’s nothing quite as comforting as being overseas at this time of the year and watching your city being showcased.
To a lesser degree, the same applies to the Australian Masters golf. Again, the actual play is punctuated by scenic shots of Melbourne which, to anyone living overseas looking for a holiday Down Under, acts as a tourism magnet.
Of course, there’s another reason for Melbourne to feel it has a stranglehold on sport. The Boxing Day test.
It continues to be “the” Test of the summer, attracting a greater crowd on that one day of December 26 than other venues get for the entire five days of a Test. In the rare event the Tests go the distance.
Parochialism aside, we don’t get it all our own way here in Melbourne. There’s one massive drawback.
The weather.
Now, to say our weather can be fickle would be the understatement of the year.
Today, for example, Melbourne will enjoy a 27 degree Spring day. Come Saturday, the grand final will be played in 14 degrees with the chance of hail and thunder!
We have a couple of sayings here.
“Don’t ever complain about the weather because what else would we talk about?”
And…
"If you don’t like Melbourne’s weather… just wait five minutes.”
So, Sydney certainly has it over us when it comes to climate, but as far as a sporting city goes, Melbourne wins hands down.
As for which Australian city considers itself better than anywhere else in the world, well, that’s an eight way tie and I don’t think anyone would argue with that.
Is Melbourne Australia's sporting capital?
Are bragging rights up for grabs in the NRL and AFL grand finals?
Which Australian city do you think is the best?
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