‘Treasures’: MCG’s incredible Warnie tribute

The Ball of the Century will take centre stage at a once in a lifetime Shane Warne exhibit at the MCG.

‘Warne: Treasures of a Legend’ will open at the MCG museum on December 16 and run through to August 9, 2026.

The exhibit will feature the ball Warne bowled to Mike Gatting in 1993, the stump he famously danced with after an Ashes victory and the ball he claimed his 700th wicket with.

There will be 110 items on display but just two stand out the most for Shane’s son Jackson.

“I’ve got two, the first one would be the (footage of the) calming down of the crowd,” he said.

“I have watched that footage so many times and I think that just sums up dad’s personality.

“(England) weren’t sure what to do, their last resort was the England captain (saying), ‘Get the spinner, get the spinner’.

“…number two would be the 700th wicket (ball), I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever seen dad run.

“Just to see his smile on his face and how happy he was after that … those two would be my favourites.”

Shane’s father Keith can vividly recall the moment the silent chaos after Shane crashed into Gatting’s off stump.

“I was fortunate enough to be at the ground, at course, we weren’t going to miss Shane’s first Test in England,” he said.

“What was amazing, I am not sure if anyone else has experienced this, but when Gatting was bowled – and it’s hard to imagine – but there was absolutely, deadly silence.

“It was just a split second, a split moment, but no one knew what happened – especially Gatting.

“To watch that ball again, and again, the way it swerves, dips and drifts and goes across to the off stump, just an amazing ball.”

Jackson said it was fitting the cherished collection was on display at his dad’s “office”.

The exhibit will be on show for a limited time and people will need to book to see it.

But Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox hoped the items could one day be part of an “entry statement” to the planned redevelopment of the Shane Warne Stand.

“Ultimately we’ve been thinking crazy thoughts about what his stand might look like into the future,” Fox said.

“But given it is named the Warne stand, I can certainly see a place for a huge entry statement into that stand that celebrates Shane’s incredible legacy.”

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