This International Women’s Day we are celebrating some of the incredible moments and milestones achieved by women at the MCG.
Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland’s gold medal haul at the 1956 Olympics
If the MCG was the main stage for track and field at the 1956 Olympics, then its stars were surely Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland. The pair dominated the women’s athletics events with Cuthbert claiming gold in the 100m and 200m and Strickland winning gold in the 80m hurdles. Both women were also part of the winning 4 x 100m relay team. Both women are immortalised in bronze outside the MCG as testament to their remarkable achievements at the ground.
Madonna performs at the ‘G in 1993
In 1993 Madonna brought her ‘Girlie Show’ to the MCG. It was her first tour of Australia and her three MCG performances drew strong crowds of more than 150,000, with 50,974 attending the final show.
The inaugural Field of Women at the MCG
In 2005 the MCG was transformed as more than 11,500 women and 100 men, dressed in pink and blue ponchos respectively, gathered on the arena to create a giant pink woman. Stretching from almost one end of the ground to the other, the inaugural Pink Lady represented the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Australia. Field of Women at the G was the culmination of a highly successful breast cancer awareness campaign coordinated by Breast Cancer Network Australia and continues to serve as a meaningful symbol and rallying point for survivors and supporters to this day.
Kerryn McCann’s emotional marathon victory
No list of memorable MCG sporting moments would be complete without Kerryn McCann’s emotional marathon victory at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Entering the stadium in the midst of a back-and-forth battle for the lead with Kenyan Hellen Cherono, the almost 80,000 fans erupted and McCann sprinted home to claim gold. Her win took on even greater significance when the mother-of-three tragically lost her battle with breast cancer only two and a half years later in December 2008. You can hear more about McCann’s incredible performance in this episode of the MCC Podcast, At the ‘G.
Women’s football makes its debut at the MCG
While the MCG is yet to host an official AFLW match, back in 2013 the stadium was proud to serve as the venue the first AFL women’s exhibition game. Played between the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons as a curtain raiser before the men’s game, the event drew a strong crowd and showcased the skill and passion that has become a hallmark of the modern AFLW.
Australia takes out the 2020 ICC Women’s World Cup Final on an International Women’s Day for the record books
With a post-match concert by Katy Perry, a crowd of 86,174 fans and incredible performances from the Australian and Indian sportswomen, the Women’s T20 World Cup Final was a fitting celebration for International Women’s Day in 2020. Australia’s 80 run victory showed not only the skills of the nation’s female cricketers but also the immense appetite for women’s sport, with the game breaking the Australian record for both attendance and TV viewership for a women’s sporting event.
