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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 \u201cout of whack\u201d for the first three days.<\/p>\n
It leaves two of the NFL\u2019s most well-resourced organisations taking completely opposite approaches to the same problem<\/a>, with the Rams\u2019 radical fly-in, fly-out gamble already generating plenty of reaction before they have even touched down in Australia.<\/p>\n For San Francisco, the effects of travelling halfway around the world have already been apparent.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Kyle Shanahan has seen the funny side of adjusting to Melbourne time ahead of the 49ers\u2019 clash with the Rams.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI call today Wednesday… but I think it\u2019s Monday, however though it\u2019s Sunday in the present,\u201d Shanahan joked.<\/p>\n The time difference even provided Shanahan with the perfect escape when asked for an injury update.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we are technically in the future, and the Rams are in the present, I don\u2019t have to talk about injuries until tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n The humour aside, Shanahan admitted it had taken several days for the 49ers to begin feeling normal again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt took a couple days to adjust but feeling real good today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n But while the effectiveness of the two strategies will ultimately be determined on the field, the Rams\u2019 approach has already created another battle off it.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/p>\n AUSSIES IN THE NFL: From $100m giant to Super Bowl hero – Every Aussie in the NFL… and those knocking on the door <\/a><\/p>\n US VIEW: BBQs, urinals and \u2018Patrick f***ing Dangerfield\u2019: Visiting NFL journos\u2019 hilarious takes on Aussie culture<\/a><\/p>\n 49ERS ALREADY WINNING THE BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA?<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n San Francisco has thrown itself into the occasion.<\/p>\n The 49ers have planned a week of activities designed to \u201cpaint Melbourne red\u201d, with players and representatives attending community events and experiencing Australian culture.<\/p>\n That has included perhaps the most iconically Australian Saturday morning imaginable, a visit to Bunnings to help raise money for a local primary school.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n The approach is particularly significant given the 49ers already enter the historic clash with a sizeable advantage in local support.<\/p>\n According to figures supplied by the NFL to The Athletic, San Francisco is the league\u2019s most popular team in Australia, while the Rams rank seventh.<\/p>\n Remarkably, the 49ers have built that following despite not possessing official Australian marketing rights, something the Rams have held since 2021.<\/p>\n NFL Australia and New Zealand general manager Charlotte Offord attributed much of San Francisco\u2019s popularity to the franchise\u2019s dominance during the 1980s, when the league was beginning to attract Australian viewers.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n And Shanahan knows all too well what that can look like.<\/p>\n The coach admitted he was initially disappointed the NFL had effectively \u201clet the Rams off the hook\u201d by moving what would ordinarily have been a Los Angeles home game against San Francisco away from SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n The 49ers have embraced Melbourne ahead of the NFL\u2019s historic first regular-season game in Australia.Source: AFP<\/p>\n 49ers supporters have routinely flooded the Rams\u2019 home ground when the rivals meet, creating the unusual sight of Los Angeles playing in front of a sea of red.<\/p>\n But after several days in Melbourne, Shanahan is beginning to think the MCG might not be much different.<\/p>\n He expects another enormous 49ers contingent on Friday, saying \u201cit won\u2019t be much different here\u201d.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/p>\n