Renegades men to call MCG their 'primary' home ground

Melbourne Renegades men's team will call the MCG home this summer, ending a 15-year association with Marvel Stadium.

The Renegades have played home games at Docklands since the Big Bash League's inception in 2011-12 but have struck a new agreement with the Melbourne Cricket Club to relocate their marquee fixtures from KFC BBL|16 onward.

The club confirmed on Friday that the MCG would become their primary men's home ground going forward.

They will play three matches in total there in BBL|16, two as the home team, including their Melbourne derby, as well as one as the away team against rivals Melbourne Stars.

"Last season's Melbourne derby attracted more than 68,000 fans to the MCG and we're excited by the opportunity to create more occasions like that for fans, albeit with the ground turned red," new Renegades general manager Max Abbott said in a statement.

"(Marvel Stadium) has been a huge part of the Renegades' DNA, providing our home for the past 15 years and hosting so many memorable moments. It's a world-class venue and will always hold a special place in the club's journey.”

It's understood the Renegades will play the remainder of their home games in Melbourne at Junction Oval this season, while they will also be part of the league's historic Chennai fixture in December.

It means there will be no Big Bash matches in Geelong this season for the first time in five years.

New floodlights installed at the Junction Oval have made the St Kilda venue a more enticing host for men's Big Bash matches, allowing the opportunity for bigger crowds and television audiences in the prime-time window.

Victoria will host NSW in a day-night one-dayer on September 25 – the state's grand final eve public holiday – in the first match under lights at Junction Oval, while there will be six nighttime matches there in Weber WBBL|12.

Melbourne Stars have previously played two men's fixtures at Junction Oval, both daytime matches, against Perth Scorchers in BBL|11 and |12.

This season won't be the Renegades' first home game at the MCG either, having previously hosted Hobart Hurricanes in January 2021 and Sydney Thunder a year later, winning the first and losing the second by one run.

The Renegades will be run independently away from Cricket Victoria's Junction Oval headquarters this season ahead of the state body's intended 100 per cent sale of the franchise to a private investor.

They'll also have a new coach after Cameron White jumped ship to the CV-operated Stars.

Captain Will Sutherland acknowledged it had been "a challenging offseason for (their) supporters" but the playing group would embrace the opportunity to play more games at the MCG.

"Every player loves the chance to walk out there," Sutherland said. "The atmosphere for last season's derby was incredible and showed what Big Bash cricket can look like at the MCG.

"Knowing we'll have more opportunities to play in front of big crowds and create those moments with our fans is something the whole playing group is really looking forward to."

Despite their absence, Marvel Stadium will live long in the memory of Renegades fans with the club having lifted their first Big Bash trophy there when they beat the Stars in a remarkable BBL|08 decider.

But the pitch and playing surface at the roofed stadium had become a talking point among BBL players and coaches in recent years, with the league forced to issue a statement in December 2024 due to a particularly patchy outfield for a Renegades-Scorchers match that resulted in players evoking a "no-diving policy" while fielding.

Another point of contention associated with playing at Marvel Stadium was the rule if the ball hit the roof, which has changed multiple times across the BBL's 15 seasons, including awarding the batter an automatic six or declaring a dead ball, before eventually giving the umpires' discretion to call either from BBL|13 onwards.

Cricket has been played at Docklands since it opened in 2000, which has increasingly hosted non-sporting events following the end of the Australian rules football season in September, including concerts and university graduation ceremonies.

"The Renegades have played an important role in the Marvel Stadium's evolution as a 365-day venue, and we wish the club every success," said Scott Fitzgerald, the venue's general manager.

"We're pleased that our partnership will continue with our AFL and Stadium Members having access to Renegades and Stars matches at the MCG next season."

The full BBL|16 schedule is set to be announced next week.