Surprisingly Useful AI Article Enhancements
Digital agency Luminary has taken out the Sports and Recreation category at the Australian Web Awards for its work rebuilding the Melbourne Cricket Club and Melbourne Cricket Ground websites.
The project consolidated three legacy websites – the MCG, MCC and Australian Sports Museum sites – into two platforms built on Optimizely, with a focus on site speed, accessibility and the overall experience for members and match-day visitors.
Luminary delivered the project alongside data and technology consultancy, Two Circles.
Consolidating a fragmented digital presence
The core of the project involved replacing three separate legacy sites with two modernised platforms, reducing the complexity of the MCC’s digital footprint while bringing the online experience closer to what the organisation wants to project for two of Australian sport’s most recognised properties.
Marty Drill, Chief Executive Officer of Luminary, described the project as a product of close collaboration between the agency and its partners.
“From day one, the team at the MCC and MCG shared our vision for a modern, high-performance digital experience,” Drill explained. “Working alongside them, Two Circles and Optimizely, we have been able to improve their digital presence – website speed, accessibility and the overall fan and customer experience.”
“This project demonstrates how strong technical architecture and human-centred design can bring a physical venue to life online,” he added.
A new platform for members and patrons
Rey Sumaru, General Manager of IT and Innovation at the MCC, pointed to the consolidation and the shift to Optimizely as central to the outcome.
“By consolidating three legacy sites into two using Optimizely, Luminary has streamlined our digital ecosystem and elevated the online experience for our MCC members and all patrons,” Sumaru told media.
The rebuilt sites were designed with scalability and integration in mind, providing the MCC with a digital foundation that can accommodate future requirements rather than a static rebuild of what existed before.
For the MCC, the project also had a brand dimension. The organisation manages both the Melbourne Cricket Club – one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia – and the MCG itself, along with the Australian Sports Museum housed within the ground. Bringing those properties together under a more cohesive digital architecture was part of the brief.
“The new sites reflect the prestige and energy of our brands, delivering improved navigation, design and performance,” Sumaru continued. “This evolution brings our brand promise to life in the digital space.”
Technical architecture and user experience
While the award recognised the end result, the underlying work involved rethinking how the MCC’s digital platforms were structured from the ground up.
Moving to Optimizely gave the organisation a single content and experience platform across its properties, replacing what had been a fragmented setup running across separate systems. The consolidation was intended to make the sites faster, more accessible and easier to maintain, while also giving the MCC’s digital team more control over content and user journeys.
The focus on accessibility is notable given the breadth of the MCG’s audience. The ground hosts Australian rules football, international cricket, concerts and major events, meaning the website serves a wide range of visitors with different needs – from MCC members managing their accounts to casual fans looking for event information or ticket purchases.
Related: Best Business Laptops for work & school
Related: Best Gaming Laptops
Related: Best Portable Laptop
Adding to a growing awards tally
The Australian Web Award follows wins at the Indigo Design Awards and the Communicator Awards for the same body of work, giving Luminary three industry recognitions for the MCG and MCC project.
For Luminary, the project sits within a broader practice area around digital platforms for venues, sporting organisations and membership-based bodies, where the intersection of content management, ticketing integration and member experience creates a specific set of technical and design challenges.
The repeated recognition across multiple awards programs points to the project being viewed within the industry as a reference case for how legacy digital properties in the sports and entertainment sector can be consolidated and modernised on a modern experience platform.
Last Updated on June 13, 2026 by Nick Ross
