MELBOURNE Cricket Club chief executive Stephen Gough says it’s “entirely appropriate” that the MCC logo has been embedded into the Melbourne Football Club guernsey for 2014 and beyond.

Melbourne and the MCC have a long, proud history and Gough said it was important that this was recognised.

“The MFC and the MCC have had long established traditions that go back into the late 1800s,” he said.

“And it’s entirely appropriate that the MCC branding should be on the MFC guernsey, as we go into season 2014.”

The MCC is branded on the back of the Melbourne playing jumper (near the top), which is fitting , given the relationship between the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Melbourne Football Club is as old as the game of Australian rules itself.

Both clubs share heritage and heroes, yet it was sparked by Tom Wills in 1858, who sought a means of keeping his Melbourne cricketers fit during the winter months. From there, a game was born and so was the Melbourne Football Club.

In the 1800s, the relationship between the MCC and MFC developed into the football club becoming an MCC sporting section in 1890.

The two clubs worked together to evolve the MCG into one of the world’s greatest sporting stadiums.

The relationship continued until 1980, when the two clubs decided to separate.

On April 1, 2009, the MFC rejoined the MCC as a sporting section. Then presidents, the late Jim Stynes (MFC) and David Meiklejohn (MCC) signed a document symbolising the reunited connection between the two entities.

Melbourne is one of many sporting bodies affiliated with the MCC, including cricket, baseball, bowls, croquet, golf, hockey, lacrosse, netball, real tennis, target shooting, squash and tennis.

Today, more than 20,000 MCC members support Melbourne, making it the most popular team among the MCC membership.