Arrive early for Blues-Tigers MCG clash

Mar 20, 2008

With Easter holiday traffic and an unusually early start time of 6.10pm, footy fans attending Thursday night’s opening match of the AFL season at the MCG are being urged to allow plenty of time to arrive for the match.

Patrons attending the Carlton-Richmond match are encouraged to take public transport to the venue if possible. Car parking in Yarra Park is limited and peak hour traffic is expected to cause delays in the Yarra Park precinct.

For those driving to the MCG, alternative car parking options include the Olympic Park precinct (Swan Street), Federation Square and Melbourne’s central business district.

The MCG public entrance gates open at 4.30pm (MCC gates open at 3.30pm) and tickets are still available through Ticketmaster or at the gate. A crowd of 65,000-plus is expected.

Here are some public transport suggestions for a hassle-free visit to the MCG:

Trains
There are two train stations close to the MCG. Jolimont (otherwise known as MCG Station) is north of the ground and offers a five-minute stroll through Yarra Park to the ground.

From any railway station in the central business district, take the Hurstbridge or Epping lines.

The other station is Richmond on the south eastern side of the MCG. It's a slightly longer walk to the ground but you can walk past the Punt Road Oval to the Great Southern Stand side.

To get to Richmond station from the city, take any train on the Lilydale, Belgrave, Alamein, Glen Waverley, Dandenong, Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston or Sandringham lines.

Trams
Two services connect Flinders Street with the eastern suburbs via Wellington Parade.

Both the No. 75 (City-Vermont South) and No. 48 (City-North Balwyn) stop just outside the MCG.

The No. 70 (City-Wattle Park) detours from Flinders Street along Swan Street, and it's a short walk across the footbridge to the ground.

Buses
The Bus route 246 is run by National Bus Company, which links La Trobe University with Elsternwick Station in a useful service for patrons from the northern and southern suburbs.

The 246 stops in Punt Road, just a punt kick from the ground.

Taxis
Taxis are available from the ground at the conclusion of each event. Otherwise the venue is a pleasant 15 minute walk from the city.