SCG

The Sydney Cricket Ground, known by its initials of the SCG, is a VFL/AFL stadium that was not used as such on a regular basis until 1982 when South Melbourne moved to Sydney. Before that it hosted occasional games dating back to 1978 and even more spasmodically before that. It was better known as a cricket and rugby league venue.
==Construction and early years==
The venue was originally created in 1848, but it wasn't truly established properly until the area was flattened and graded to be the home for the Garrison Club, a cricket club that was directly connected to the Victoria Barracks. Garrison soon formed an alignment with the East Sydney Cricket Club, and that changed the name of the venue from the Garrison Ground to the Civil and Military Ground. When the old Albert Ground was closed in, the New South Wales Cricket Association started to use the ground.
In 1875 the government handed the administraion of the venue to the NSWCA ahead of the military and a few other local cricket clubs, and commenced an upgrade. But relations between the government, represented by a trust and the NSWCA were at times not great, and the share arrangement originally planned fell over with the trust running the venue.
But by 1882, two stands had been built - the original Brewongle Stand and the original member's stand. This was in time for Australia's first cricket test match at the venue against England. Two mounds were also established - the Paddington Hill and The Hill. In 1886 the member's stand was replaced with the stand that still exists today. It was joined in 1896 by the Lady Members Stand (AKA the Ladies Stand) which also still exists today. Two years earlier the ground was offically named the Sydney Cricket Ground, and in the interim the SCG scoreboard was built. By the end of the century, the Hill Stand - between the two mounds - was established. At some point a stand called the Smoker's Stand was also built at the southern end of the ground replacing the original Brewongle Stand. There would also be a Northern Stand.
It would be in 1881 meanwhile that the first football match would be played - between New South Wales and a team from Victoria.
==20th century construction==
The next recorded football match would be a game between Fitzroy and Collingwood for premiership points in 1903 with Fitzroy winning. Later in the season the SCG also hosted a game between Geelong and Carlton also for premiership points which Geelong won. In 1904 there was another game for premiership points between Melbourne and Essendon won by Melbourne. That would however be the last game for some time.
The scoreboard was moved in 1904, and in 1909 the Sheridan Stand was built in the place of the Smoker's Stand. This would remain the layout until it became too small to hold the crowds flocking to see Don Bradman in the early 1930's. This led in 1936 to the opening of the Noble Stand replacing the Northern Stand. The plan was to also replace both of the Member's Stands but this never eventuated.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide visited Sydney and played a New South Wales combined side in 1922 before another hiatus. During the Winter it had become the venue of the New South Wales Rugby League grand final - starting in 1913.
==After World War 2==
New construction waned, as football returned in 1952 as Collingwood returned and played a game for premiership points against Richmond as part of the so called National Round with Collingwood winning. It would be another 27 years before another game would be played.
The work started with the Noble Stand was finished in 1973 with the Bradman stand, but massive changes would come later.
In 1979 football returned again with the first of a number of matches from Victoria - Hawthorn against North Melbourne. From then until 1981 all twelve VFL clubs would play at least one game at the SCG. During this time a new Breqongle Stand would be completed in 1980.
==The Swans arrive==
In 1982 South Melbourne would make the move to Sydney giving it its own team in the VFL. This would start a number changes to the SCG layout - starting with the Hill Stand being moved to North Sydney to be replaced by the Bill O'Reilly Stand in 1984 while the previous year the old scoreboard was replaced by the new electronic scoreboard. The Clive Churchill Stand would be built in 1986 and this would soon be followed by the NSWRL's departure from the SCG after the 1987 season - moving next door to the Sydney Football Stadium.
The Swans were improving and in 1996 hosted its first AFL final. The Hill subsequently disappeared, and was eventually replace with the Victor Trumper Stand in 2008 increasing the ground's capacity. In 2013 work began to replace the Noble and Bradman stands alongside the never mentioned Messenger Stand. There are presently plans for more work to increase the capacity further by replacing the Brewongle, Churchill and O'Reilly Stands to create a semi bowl venue like the MCG - but leaving the heritage listed Members and Ladies Stands alone.
==Other uses==
Aside from football, cricket and rubgy league, the SCG had a cycling velodrome at one point. The track also hosted motor racing. Tennis was also played at the venue in the early days. The SCG was the main venue for the 1938 British Empire Games. Rugby Union has also been played at the SCG - infamously hosting a match against the South African Springboks in 1971 at the height of the Apartheid protests. Much like rugby league, the SCG was not used mushc by rugby union after the Sydney Football Stadium opened.
Soccer was also played there before the SFS, inclduing a match involving English club Everton in 1964. In 2014 Major League Baseball hosted the two opening games of the season at the SCG - with the Arizona Diamondbacks taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Category:Venues