I WASN’T AWARE of the importance of interceptions in the NFL until Friday’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and the LA Rams at the MCG. The epiphany occurred in the second quarter of the game, as Rams’ safety Quentin Lake picked off a pass from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
The play prompted the Rams defense to jog to the end zone and fall to the ground in a sleep pose. The 100,000 strong crowd erupted in a mix of glee, for those who knew what was going on and bewilderment for those, like me, who didn’t.
It turned out the players were mocking criticism of their decision to arrive in Melbourne just 24 hours before the game, as opposed to the 49ers, who touched down at Tullamarine a full week ahead of schedule.
The Rams, as it would turn out, were tempting fate. Not only did San Francisco get one back as Renardo Green intercepted Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford soon after, but Purdy then found wide receiver Demarcus Robinson with a glorious 39-yard pass to score the 49ers’ first touchdown of the game. The Rams would ultimately go down in a 27-7 blowout, much of which they did appear asleep, a fact reflected in the game stats. The Rams also lost the crowd – support for the 49ers was overwhelming, in what was supposed to be an LA home game.
Once again, when it came to hosting big sporting events, Melbourne delivered. The 100,021 fans who packed into the stadium was the most all year, rivalling typical attendances for AFL grand finals. The city was full of jerseys, mostly the red 49ers variety (a couple even bore the name ‘Hayne’) and American accents could be overheard in every bar and café within a 5k radius of the G.
At the ground NFL merch drew long queues and American food options were plentiful. According to NFL data, Australians who identified as NFL fans grew from 5.7 million to 8.8 million between 2022 and 2025, a 54 per cent jump that included more than 1.3 million people declaring themselves NFL fans in the past year. My plane down from Sydney was filled with groups of young male fans eager to experience a sport they’ve largely followed on TV at incompatible times, firsthand. The Victorian Government reportedly spent up to $15m to stage the game here, a significant outlay, although a report from NAB estimated more than $300 million would flow into the state economy from spending across hotels, restaurants, pubs and retailers over the game weekend.
What of the game? As someone who got most of their football knowledge from iconic TV series Friday Night Lights, I found its rhythms peculiar and was reminded of a quote by American pundit George F. Will who said: “Football combines two of the worst things in American life: violence punctuated by committee meetings.” Truly, the sight of players being marshalled on and off the field in scenes resembling a busy train platform were perhaps a little puzzling for fans of a game as free flowing as AFL. But once you adjust to the game’s staccato nature, it begins to make a little more sense and its charms start to reveal themselves. I suspect, like most sports, the more you watch, the more you see, until the intricacies become beguiling and before long addictive.
Purdy’s long pass to Robinson was a pure, precise athletic achievement, though again, for fans raised on AFL (last time, I promise), largely akin to a run-of-the-mill mark inside 50, albeit one celebrated like peace had been brokered in Iran or the Ukraine. The crunching hits could be felt in the stands and every time a player evaded a tackle you could feel your pulse race before they were inevitably, often clinically, brought to ground. In this case I did find the slow-motion replays on the big screen to be helpful, as the game’s zippy plays mean the action can be over before you’ve had time to slurp your beer. On the big screen you can better appreciate the yardage gained, the astounding agility of the players and the spine-rattling nature of the hits.
The best part? Even if you aren’t really following what’s happening on the field, there’s no shortage of sideline action to keep you entertained. This started before kick-off with a unique ‘card trick’, in which every spectator took a piece of card stuck to their seat and peered through a Ned Kelly-style slit, which collectively revealed ‘NFL Melbourne’ in a stupendous stadium-wide tricolour of red, white and blue. Then there was the Jonas Brothers, who won over the crowd with a rousing rendition of Aussie anthem ‘You’re the Voice’ in a high-octane half-time show. Indeed, music was a constant throughout the game, punctuating the relentless breaks in play – rarely can ‘Sweet Caroline’ have been sung as raucously or loudly as it was here.
As we wandered out of the ground, among hordes of happy fans descending on the bars of Richmond and the CBD to help inject some of that aforementioned $300m dividend, it felt appropriate to utter to oneself the immortal FNL catch cry: ‘clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose’.
The writer attended the game as a guest of Visit Victoria
What to do on a sporting weekend in Melbourne
If you’re heading to Melbourne for a big sporting event, be it the Boxing Day Test, Melbourne Cup, Australian Open or F1 GP, there’s no shortage of things to keep you occupied outside of the official event. Here are our picks:
Learn some sports history
Explore interactive exhibits and rich sports memorabilia located right inside the MCG at the Australian Sports Museum.
Grab a coffee
Veneziano Coffee in Richmond is starting tours for a very Melbourne experience in which you can explore the roastery and learn from a pro how to perfect your coffee making skills with hands-on tutorials.
Hit a gallery
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) offers an extraordinary visual arts experience with free entry to the permanent collection.
See some street art
Wander down a paint-plastered lane to see some of the city’s renowned street art – AC/DC Lane, Guildford Place, Hosier Lane, Meyers Place are all Insta worthy diversions.
Grab a pastry
Baker Bleu have a gorgeous array of pastries and went to town for this one, joining forces with Visit Victoria to create bespoke goods for NFL Game Week, including a S’mores cookie shaped as an NFL football and pizzetta (mini pizzas) with ranch dipping sauce.
Grab a post-game drink
After a big game, Richmond’s Swan Street bars are bustling with arm-chair experts dissecting what went wrong, or right, as the case may be. Union House offers elevated pub grub with a nice outdoor patio.
Catch some Zzzzz
Ideally located on the edge of the CBD and just a 20-minute stroll from the ‘G, Lanson Place Parliament Gardens is a tranquil space combining heritage bones with modern design. Book here.
