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When the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers run onto the MCG for the NFL’s historic first regular-season game in Australia, the NFC West rivals will have taken radically different paths to get there.
San Francisco landed in Melbourne on Friday morning, giving its players a week to adjust to the time difference, while the Rams plan to arrive on Thursday morning, little more than 24 hours before the game, before flying home almost immediately afterwards.
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Rather than acclimatising to Melbourne time, Los Angeles will essentially try to avoid doing so altogether, while the 49ers arrived early after an advance group warned players could feel “out of whack” for the first three days.
It leaves two of the NFL’s most well-resourced organisations taking completely opposite approaches to the same problem, with the Rams’ radical fly-in, fly-out gamble already generating plenty of reaction before they have even touched down in Australia.
For San Francisco, the effects of travelling halfway around the world have already been apparent.
That much became obvious when 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan fronted the media in Melbourne on Monday and struggled to explain exactly what day his body thought it was.
Kyle Shanahan has seen the funny side of adjusting to Melbourne time ahead of the 49ers’ clash with the Rams.Source: Getty Images
“I call today Wednesday... but I think it’s Monday, however though it’s Sunday in the present,” Shanahan joked.
The time difference even provided Shanahan with the perfect escape when asked for an injury update.
“Because we are technically in the future, and the Rams are in the present, I don’t have to talk about injuries until tomorrow.”
The humour aside, Shanahan admitted it had taken several days for the 49ers to begin feeling normal again.
“It took a couple days to adjust but feeling real good today,” he said.
It is exactly what San Francisco expected when it made the decision to arrive early, and exactly what Los Angeles is attempting to avoid by arriving as late as possible.
But while the effectiveness of the two strategies will ultimately be determined on the field, the Rams’ approach has already created another battle off it.
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49ERS ALREADY WINNING THE BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA?
While the effectiveness of each travel strategy cannot be judged until the teams actually play, there is already a clear difference in how they have approached Melbourne.
San Francisco has thrown itself into the occasion.
The 49ers have planned a week of activities designed to “paint Melbourne red”, with players and representatives attending community events and experiencing Australian culture.
That has included perhaps the most iconically Australian Saturday morning imaginable, a visit to Bunnings to help raise money for a local primary school.
San Francisco even embraced an Aussie Saturday morning tradition with a trip to Bunnings to raise money for a local primary school.Source: News Corp Australia
The approach is particularly significant given the 49ers already enter the historic clash with a sizeable advantage in local support.
According to figures supplied by the NFL to The Athletic, San Francisco is the league’s most popular team in Australia, while the Rams rank seventh.
Remarkably, the 49ers have built that following despite not possessing official Australian marketing rights, something the Rams have held since 2021.
NFL Australia and New Zealand general manager Charlotte Offord attributed much of San Francisco’s popularity to the franchise’s dominance during the 1980s, when the league was beginning to attract Australian viewers.
Now the 49ers are leaning heavily into that existing support, while thousands of their famously well-travelled fans are also expected to descend on Melbourne.
And Shanahan knows all too well what that can look like.
The coach admitted he was initially disappointed the NFL had effectively “let the Rams off the hook” by moving what would ordinarily have been a Los Angeles home game against San Francisco away from SoFi Stadium.
The 49ers have embraced Melbourne ahead of the NFL’s historic first regular-season game in Australia.Source: AFP
49ers supporters have routinely flooded the Rams’ home ground when the rivals meet, creating the unusual sight of Los Angeles playing in front of a sea of red.
But after several days in Melbourne, Shanahan is beginning to think the MCG might not be much different.
He expects another enormous 49ers contingent on Friday, saying “it won’t be much different here”.
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‘FAIL’: RAMS COP HEAT OVER AUSSIE ‘SNUB’
The contrast has not gone unnoticed in the United States or Australia.
American NFL analyst Dontay Atkinson was among those to question the Rams’ approach after watching the 49ers embrace their opening days in Melbourne.
“I hope [NFL commissioner Roger Goodell] appreciates that the 49ers are spending a full week at public events and interacting with locals in Melbourne, doing the NFL’s ambassador work,” Atkinson wrote on X.
“The team does seem to be enjoying the people down there.
“The Rams are the ‘home team’ and the party responsible for requiring the 49ers to take the lengthy trip, and they’ve done exactly jack squat to sell the NFL brand or connect with Australians.
“Fly in, fly out, no contact. I’m sure the Aussies feel great about that snub. Fail. It’s going to be heavily red in the stands again.”
Australian Bryce Parker made a similar observation.
“Just a reminder that this is a Rams home game and their international market is Australia,” Parker wrote on X.
“Yet there’s one side that is growing the game and getting the kids hooked. And it ain’t them.”
Parker was particularly impressed by San Francisco embracing the local community.
The 49ers have embraced Melbourne ahead of the NFL’s historic first regular-season game in Australia.Source: Supplied Source Known
“Might seem like a small thing but at Bunnings on a Saturday morning raising money for a primary school,” he wrote.
“Whoever is running the 9ers PR on this trip is absolutely nailing it.”
The Rams have not completely abandoned their Australian engagement.
Blaine Grisak, lead publisher for Rams On SI, pointed out Los Angeles has a flag football community day scheduled in Melbourne along with a fan zone and tailgate experience, while Rams players also visited Australia during the off-season.
But others believe the 49ers have been gifted a golden opportunity.
“Interesting point. Rams are doing the bare minimum to support the NFL’s first game in Australia, and they are the ‘home’ team, who was granted marketing rights to that region,” Brian Nemhauser wrote.
The 49ers are the NFL’s most popular team in Australia despite the Rams holding official marketing rights in the country.Source: Getty Images
Kate Allman added: “Feels like the 49ers are getting a free kick from the Rams here in Australia!
“A full week of marketing activity and appearances, winning over the Aussies before the Rams even arrive.
“LA have marketing rights in Australia so it seems crazy they’re just handing over fans to SF.”
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MORE THAN JUST ONE GAME
The debate comes at an important moment for the NFL’s international expansion.
The league will stage a record nine international games this season, with its first Australian regular-season fixture representing another major step in its push beyond the United States.
NFL host Chase Senior believes that makes San Francisco’s approach particularly valuable, and the Rams’ decision even more puzzling.
“Roger Goodell and the NFL are really emphasizing football’s global reach. The commish recently said he envisions there being international franchises in the NFL soon,” Senior wrote on X.
“The 49ers are embracing this Australia trip, experiencing Aussie culture, growing and marketing the game.
“The Los Angeles Rams could care less. The Niners decided to travel a week early, they’re going to Aussie rules games and the Rams are flying in a day before the game and dipping right after.
“This is another reason why the crowd will be very heavy 49ers fans in week 1.”
Senior went even further, arguing Australia should become a permanent part of the NFL calendar.
“I’m thinking the NFL should have an opening game in Australia every year,” he wrote.
“Aussies love sports and American football is quickly gaining momentum and popularity.
“Makes sense from a business standpoint to do it.”
The 49ers have spent their week in Melbourne engaging with local fans while adjusting to Australian conditions.Source: Getty Images
The NFL itself has already indicated Week 1 is the most logical window for future Australian games because of the extraordinary travel demands involved.
And this week will provide it with an extraordinary case study.
Ultimately, there are two separate questions that will determine which franchise got its Australian experiment right.
The first will be answered on the field.
If the Rams arrive barely 24 hours before kick-off and beat a 49ers team that has spent a week acclimatising, McVay’s unconventional strategy will suddenly look inspired.
If they appear sluggish and lose, expect every detail of that travel plan to come under the microscope.