NFL in Melbourne recap: ‘Home’ team thrashed as 100,021 NFL fans rock MCG

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Thank you so much for joining nine.com.au’s coverage of the NFL in Melbourne.

A shoey has officially been completed by a former Super Bowl champion.

Nick Foles, a former quarterback, has been handed a shoe on Netflix’s post-match coverage and without any hesitations he has done it.

The panel cannot believe it. The crowd is cheering him on.

Coming into Friday’s NFL Melbourne extravaganza, there were a few key questions that were set to define whether the event was a success.

Would it be a sell out? Would the MCG viewing experience be good enough? Was the MCG the right venue for this historic occasion? Would the Rams regret shunning the Australian community by flying in the day before the game?

The answers: Yes, sorta, yes and yes.

It was unquestionably a sell out, with 100,021 fans filling the stadium to the gills, despite the price point for resale tickets sitting over $600 for the cheapest seats as recently as last week.

Fans filled every corner of the ’G and Melbourne was buzzing as early as 6am, for the 10:35am AEST kick off, before the 49ers battered the Rams 27-7.

Beers were flowing, breakfast nachos and hot dogs were being consumed in droves; You wouldn’t know it was an ordinary work day in Melbourne.

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Well, when the football the only natural thing to do is try a meat pie, right?

Netflix’s coverage of the NFL is doing exactly that while interviewing the Jonas Brothers.

Joe Jonas has dived right in to trying the Australian meat pie, and he seems to like it? It is truly one of the most bizarre things in this post-match coverage.

Rams coach Sean McVay has refused to use the travel plans as an excuse.

“I know there’s gonna be a lot of narratives that appropriately put the blame on me, and then we’ll move forward the right way,” he said post-match.

“I don’t believe (the travel plan) is why we didn’t play well enough. I really don’t.”

All the talk in the build up to this match was about the different travel choices made by the 49ers and the Rams.

The 49ers well and truly made the most of their week in Australia to prepare for this match, spotted out embracing the local culture after their training sessions.

In the end, the Rams’ decision to arrive 28 hours before kick off did not pay off.

Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews feels the 49ers deserve credit for how much work they put in to ensure they were ready for the opening round.

“I think by talking about the travel, it takes away from how ready they were,” he said on Netflix’s coverage of the NFL match.

“I saw a 49ers team that looked dominant. Obviously, you can say, yes, they showed up earlier. But I think that does a disservice to the 49ers and how great they looked.”

Australia is not the only nation that will host a regular season NFL game this season.

Over the coming weeks, eight teams will make the trip overseas to play.

Here is the NFL’s international schedule this season:

September 27: Baltimore Ravens v Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro

October 4: Indianapolis Colts v Washington Commanders in London

October 11: Philadelphia Eagles v Jacksonville Jaguars in London

October 18: Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars in London

If you are inside the MCG at the moment, I wouldn’t be rushing out.

The scenes outside the concourse look as chaotic as you’d expect them to be.

49ers tight end George Kittle is ready to embrace Australia’s culture post-match.

He was asked if he would be open to doing a shoey to celebrate his win. Kittle response was simple.

“Are you trying to set me up to get in trouble here?” he replied when asked by ESPN.

Kittle added laughing: “Wherever I can do one, I will try to do one.

“I did love Australia, this place is awesome.”

The San Francisco 49ers have done it! They have defeated the Rams 27-7.

There is no doubt that many Rams fans will now start to question the team’s choices on the field, but also the decision to arrive 28 hours before the game.

The players have moved quickly to get into their locker room.

“There may be a little bit of soul-searching. It may ground the Rams just a bit,” Bob Wischusen said in commentary on ESPN.

“But it is a long season. There are plenty of opportunities for them to prove us wrong and show why they are the favourite (to win the Super Bowl).”