The 15 Best Sports Bars and Pubs in Melbourne
These Melbourne bars and pubs play local and international sporting matches live and loud throughout the week — from AFL, NRL and cricket to soccer, boxing and basketball.
The 15 Best Sports Bars and Pubs in Melbourne
These Melbourne bars and pubs play local and international sporting matches live and loud throughout the week — from AFL, NRL and cricket to soccer, boxing and basketball.
Sport in Melbourne is definitely one of those culturally ingrained things that is a very big deal to most, and chances are you have a team you find yourself getting invested in, particularly over a few beers at the pub. Whether you're a casual follower or a professional who weeps regularly and loudly over your chosen ones' performance, sometimes your lounge room just doesn't make the cut – and neither does that tray of frozen chips you popped in the oven.
Help yourself and your team out by picking a good venue to watch the game, be it AFL, NRL, soccer, tennis, baseball, basketball or boxing. Check out the list below to find the best Melbourne sports bars and pubs that play the big games with the volume turned right up, so everyone can get around the action.
Recommended reads:
The Best Pubs in Melbourne
The Best Bars in Melbourne
The Best Bars in Melbourne's CBD
The Best Beer Gardens in Melbourne
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15
The Great Northern holds fairly true its name, in that it’s both in Melbourne’s north and pretty great. A huge beer garden out the back and ten HD screens littered throughout the venue means you’ll probably end up watching sport whether you’re planning on it or not.
The Northern is the “unofficial home of Freo”, so be prepared to defend yourself if you don’t go for the Dockers. Also, the pub shows most of the other sports you may follow so don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to AFL.
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14
The Sporting Globe Richmond, one of the suburb’s oldest pubs, got a huge $3 million renovation that centred around making this one of the best sports bars in Melbourne. And the team seems to have done a pretty bang-up job. The bar reopened in July 2024, and immediately filled up with sports fans watching games on some of the 60-plus screens dotted about the venue — be they inside or out on the rooftop.
Some of the booths even have their own screens, which you can switch to whatever match you’d like to watch with your mates. Games are also played with the volume turned up, so you’re sure to hear all the commentary.
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13
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that’s certainly not the case at the Terminus Hotel. At the ripe old age of around 150, the historic North Fitzroy gastropub hit refresh on its culinary offering in 2021, building on an already stellar food reputation with the launch of new on-site restaurant Cinder.
This is a great spot for a pre-game feed, but you’ll be heading to the front bar when you’re ready to watch the game. Concerning AFL, this is an unofficial home to the Brisbane Lions (formerly the Fitzroy Bears), so prepare to be surrounded by a sea of navy and maroon. Come game day, the crew also serves up drinking and dining deals in the pub, plus you can always run out to the street-side seats for a cheeky dart in between quarters.
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12
A big space in the CBD can be hard to find, but kickin’ it at the very top of Bourke Street is The Imperial, the third oldest pub in Melbourne. An accommodating hotspot for Premier League followers, you can also head here for the rugby or the cricket or the tennis or even the golf – basically, pick a sport, any sport and head to the Imperial.
It’s the home of the Liverpool FC supporters in Melbourne, so expect a sea of loud red fans. Other pluses? A huge rooftop bar with great city views, and a decent menu with plenty of good food to line your belly.
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11
Head southside to the back streets of Prahran for a pub that sticks to what it knows, and does it well – friendly vibes and lazy Sunday afternoons in the sun.
At College Lawn, rabid rugby fans are in the house on the weekend, but don’t feel left out if that isn’t your sport of choice; the College Lawn has scores of screens, so we’ve no doubt you’ll find something you dig on at least one. There’s also a bottle shop on-site, and cheap pints from 5pm-7pm on Fridays.
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10
The All Nations Hotel is your classic family-run Melbourne pub. Expect friendly and personable service, good food that isn’t made for Instagram and that familiar (and beloved) beer-drenched carpet smell. We wouldn’t take the All Nations Hotel any other way. You can easily spend a cheery afternoon drinking and eating at the bar, or out in the beer garden on a sunny day. Get your parma on or opt for some more quintessential British pub grub.
The All Nations Hotel is also a hugely popular spot for watching the footy — as long as you’re supporting the Tigers. The owners love AFL so much, they even run a free courtesy bus to the MCG, making sure the fans can have a few drinks and then get to the game without driving. You’re sure to make a few new mates during the drive or when sitting at the front bar in this friendly local joint.
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9
Beautifully restored back in 2021, the 150-year-old Orrong Hotel — an art deco gem in Armadale — is the kind of pub you keep returning to once you discover it. The interior itself is stunning, with a curved wooden bar, polished floorboards, ornate ceilings and tiled features throughout — you can tell no expense was spared on the restoration.
And thankfully, the team kept and cleaned up the old fireplace that blasts throughout winter. Sit by the fire while watching the footy on one of the many screens (with the game played loud enough to hear all the commentary) or head to the hidden beer garden out back to watch the game on a big projector.
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8
Long considered one of Melbourne’s go-to steak destinations, The Station Hotel sure knows how to make a good piece of meat shine. And that also means the kitchen’s got the goods when a proper Sunday roast is on the cards.
This make is ideal for pre-game dining, especially as the front bar will screen your local footy match and cricket game most weekends. Here, you’ll find a stack of screens playing sporting matches with the volume turned up loud, plus plenty of regular food and drink deals.
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7
If it’s American footy or baseball you’re after, Turf Bar might be the pick for you. Its schedule packs in a bit of everything and the facilities are good: big screens with volume loud enough to hear the match, and private screening booths if you so desire.
To know what the crew will be streaming the day you’re visiting, check out Turf’s calendar, or simply rock up and be surprised by whatever local or international game is playing. And if you head down on Fridays from 4–6pm, you’ll score $10 pints, $9 house wines an $9 spirits.
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6
While The Corner is through and through one hell of a music venue, it boasts other non-gig-related attractions. There’s a good trivia on every Wednesday, for a start, and a huge rooftop bar that’s made for sun-filled weekend sessions.
More importantly though, it has big screens, a great atmosphere and is right in the heart of the action. Pick this as a place to set up shop on grand final day or any other time a big sports match is playing,
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5
Better known by Melburnians as The Espy, this hallowed Melbourne pub made a triumphant return at the tail-end of 2018. A mighty revamp added two levels with sleek new restaurants and bars, brought in an innovative art program and restored the pub’s live stages, continuing its life as the longest-running music venue in Australia.
Thankfully, with all these updates, the ground-floor public bar didn’t lose too much of its old-school charm. Better yet, the teles streaming live sports also remain. Games are played just about every day, and you can check The Espy’s calendar to see what will be played live and loud.
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4
If you can’t have a live view of the sporting action, watching it on the big screen against the backdrop of the Yarra is probably the next best thing. The Boatbuilders Yard is right on the harbour at South Wharf, making it an easy trip to the MCG if you want to stop by for a beer on your way to the game, or a great spot to set up for the day to enjoy a craft beer or a drop from the extensive wine list.
Everything is bigger at The Boatbuilders Yard on big game days as well, thanks to its big screen in the big beer garden and mighty big barbecue platters for lunch. Walk-ins are welcome, but we think you’ll need to get there early to nab a spot in one of six viewing zones during the really big matches.
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3
Originally built in 1889, the historic significance of the Middle Park Hotel does not go unnoticed. Polished brass bar fittings coupled with moody wood-panelling interiors pay homage to such history, complemented by the gastropub’s local produce-driven menu.
But when it comes to watching sports at this Melbourne pub, you can catch games being streamed inside and out in the beer garden just about every single day. It screens both local and international games across all codes, and publishes its weekly rota of games on its live sport schedule. And on Saturdays, once the main games are over, you can stick around for live music late into the night — great for celebrations and comiserations.
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2
The Exchange has a monopoly on cosiness and is perhaps the pick of the bunch in Port Melbourne where you can get all snuggly and watch the game. An inviting facade, warm interior and fireplace coupled with a whole heap of meal specials means you won’t want to leave — also, a super affordable Sunday roast never goes astray.
A proud feature of the Exchange is showing AFL games live so you can rest assured it’s got your best interests at heart. Apart from its cosy interior feat. fireplace — the Exchange also runs Friday meat raffles, Saturday night live music and a slew of happy hour drink deals from 4–6pm throughout the week.
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1
Located just across the river from The Boatbuilders Yard, The Wharf Hotel’s asymmetrical interior makes it another killer option for a drink in the sun while you watch the game.
With leather bar stools, fireplaces and a plant-filled deck, there’s no lack of nooks and crannies to tickle your drinking fancy, no matter the weather. And with the bar boasting a range of local and imported beers, spirits and cocktail jugs, you won’t find any problem with The Wharf’s drinks menu, either. Keen to know what this Melbourne sports bar is playing next? Check out its schedule online.
Top images: The Sporting Globe.
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