Commonwealth Games track works begin at MCG

Just days after a memorable 100th Grand Final at the MCG, the ground has resumed preparations for its role as the main stadium for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

On Sunday, less than 24 hours after Sydney's heart-stopping victory in front of 91,898 people, the centre square was being dug up to allow the Boxing Day Test pitch to be installed on Monday.

From Tuesday, work wil begin on removing nearly 16,000sq metres of turf to expose the athletics track, the long jump run-up and so on.

"By about mid-December, it will look like an athletics field," MCC General Manager, Arenas Tony Ware said.

Then another layer of sandfill and a new layer of turf will be placed over the athletics field in time for the 2005 Boxing Day Test.

When the cricket season ends, those layers will be removed, new turf will be laid around the track-and-field facilities, and, in late-February, 2006, the MCG will be ready for the Commonwealth Games.