New Ways to Experience Iconic Australian Sports Events

There’s the AFL Grand Final and the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena but there are other, unexpected ways to experience these great Australian sports events.

AFL

Before going national, Aussie Rules football was a gritty battle of Victorian suburbs and classes. While it’s hard to beat the razzamatazz of an AFL Grand Final, get a feel for that old-school rivalry at a match between white-collar Carlton and blue-collar Collingwood. It’s tough, it’s passionate and, for many, it’s still personal.

Cricket

A slightly more mannered crowd fills the MCG for cricket’s traditional Boxing Day Test. Purists, however, prefer the pilgrimage to Adelaide Oval, a sublime patch of green by the lazy River Torrens.

Tennis

And like both those sports, the marquee event on Australia’s tennis calendar – the final of the Australian Open at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena – is not always the most captivating. To see the superstars at close quarters, wander over to the smaller courts during the opening rounds of the competition.

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