Web hosting Custom Email SiteBuilder

Optus Oval (Carlton v Hawthorne)

Melbourne is the sport city of Australia. They are sport mad down here and this is reflected in the number of major sporting events that take place there.

Pictured here is myself at my first "Aussie Rules" football game at the Optus Oval football park.
The match was between Carlton (who I tend to follow now) and Hawthorne.

It's not a bad game once you get to understand the rules, obviously not a patch of the English football league, that goes without saying, but the folk of Melbourne love their own footy and are as passionate about it as any other football fans around the world. Wearing my Huddersfield Town soccer shirt, I did tend to get a few strange looks from the locals trying to figure out which rules team that was, the majority concluded North Melbourne, who play in blue & white stripes, and having lived, there I kind of follow their fortunes as well.

In January, the Austrlian open Tennis championships take place in Melbounre at the national tennis centre, which is right next to the MCG. Unlike the extortionate prices charged at the likes Wimbledon, you can see some top class Tennis quite cheaply.

I went on quater finals day, without a ticket, but picked up a centre court ticket for $30 outside the ground, bargin I thought, saw some wonderful games and got a lovely suntan as well!

Korder (98 open winner) & Bjorkman battle it out in the quater finals in the swealtering heat in Melbounre

Last modified on Tuesday, February 09, 1999