MELBOURNE, Australia – In a groundbreaking moment for American football, the San Francisco 49ers have completed their trans-Pacific journey to Melbourne, shaken off most of the effects of international travel, and begun final preparations for their 2024 NFL regular season opener against the Los Angeles Rams this Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The 49ers departed their Bay Area base in California last Wednesday, touching down in southeastern Australia two days later. After granting players a full 24-hour break to explore Melbourne’s landmarks and local offerings, the franchise held their first game-week practice session on Monday at AAMI Park, with most players reporting they felt surprisingly refreshed following the long-haul flight.
In a contrasting scheduling approach, their opponent the Los Angeles Rams have remained in the U.S. and will not arrive in Melbourne until Thursday, a plan Rams head coach Sean McVay has already framed as the optimal strategy for his squad.
Speaking after Monday’s practice, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan shared that while the majority of the team had adjusted to the new time zone within a couple of days, his own experience of the city has been limited to a short stroll and views from his hotel window, a reality of being deep in the competitive season. “It took a couple days to adjust but feeling real good today,” Shanahan said. “Most of the city I’ve seen out of my window, I’ve gotten to go on one walk. It’s a little different for coaches. We’re in the season so we’re not out much. But players had yesterday off so I know they got out a little bit and they’ve spoken very highly of everything.”
Multiple 49ers players took advantage of their day off to attend an Australian Football League match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the iconic venue that will host the first ever NFL regular season game held on Australian soil. Star running back Christian McCaffrey did not attend the AFL contest, but said he had heard glowing feedback from his teammates, and has thoroughly enjoyed his first days in the country.
McCaffrey explained that structured pre-travel guidance from the team’s performance and training staff helped minimize disruptive jet lag symptoms, leaving only the fatigue from 14-plus hours confined to an airplane as the main lingering effect of the journey. Now fully recovered, the All-Pro back said the entire squad is eager to take the field Friday. “This has been such a cool experience. Obviously, there’s a lot of question marks when you hear you’re playing in Australia, but since we’ve been here, man, it’s been so cool. The people are unbelievable. The food’s incredible. The coffee’s great. The atmosphere, you can already feel it. It’s just been a lot fun, so we’re super fired up we’re here.”
Shanahan acknowledged that he was initially less enthusiastic about the overseas matchup when it was first announced. The original schedule would have seen the 49ers face the Rams in Los Angeles, where 49ers fans traditionally turn out in large numbers to give the team a de facto home field advantage. But after arriving in Melbourne and learning of the strong ticket demand from 49ers supporters traveling for the game, Shanahan’s outlook has shifted.
“That was nothing against Australia or anything, that’s just about competition and how important our 17 games are,” he explained. “It’s cool for us just we always have an advantage of having one, I see it as one home game a year in L.A., just the way our fans are and take over that stadium. So it was disappointing to let them off the hook and get them out of that. Knowing how our fans roll, I have a feeling they won’t be much different here. I expect to have a good showing. … After being here for a couple days like this is the right time to be here it’s the right place to be and it’s right team to go against.”
The 49ers did not release any injury updates following Monday’s practice, a departure from Shanahan’s typical routine. Due to the 17-hour time difference between Melbourne and California, the Rams will hold their first game-week practice on Monday U.S. time, which falls on Tuesday in Australia. To maintain a level playing field for injury reporting timelines, Shanahan opted to delay any announcements about the status of star players including tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa.
“Because we’re technically in the future, from where we’re from, and the Rams are in the present, I don’t have to talk about injuries until tomorrow,” Shanahan joked. “So I’m not talking about them.”
One confirmed injury update was released: defensive end Sam Okuayinonu fractured his foot during the 49ers’ final practice in California before departure. He has been placed on the injured reserve list and is expected to miss the vast majority of the 2024 season.
In other team news, the 49ers announced they will retain the same eight team captains from the 2023 season. Quarterback Brock Purdy will once again serve as a captain, alongside McCaffrey, Kittle, Bosa, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, offensive tackle Trent Williams, linebacker Fred Warner and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.