By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, Sept 11 (Reuters) – The NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia will not be a one-off, Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Friday, but the league must ensure players feel properly looked after to build on a bumper debut in Melbourne.
A crowd of 100,021 packed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground to see the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7, the seventh-biggest attendance for a regular-season game in NFL history.
Fans flocked to the country’s largest stadium despite the 10:35 a.m. kick-off on a local work day, the scheduling chosen for prime-time viewing in the United States.
The NFL’s deal with the Victoria state government includes at least two games at the MCG in a four-year period, with the league having identified Australia as a strategic growth market.
Goodell said the NFL would seek feedback from players, with their experience a key consideration in determining how the league develops its presence Down Under.
“The number one thing I’m thinking about now is, through the game, keeping players safe, keeping fans safe, and then getting their feedback on what went well and what didn’t go well, and what we can do better,” Goodell said.
“Everything from practice facilities, the flights, the hotels – they’re all important in making sure. Because if these guys are happy and feel like they’ve been treated properly, they’re the greatest ambassadors in the world for this game.”
Melbourne was the first stop in a record nine-game international schedule for the NFL this season and the longest haul for the teams bringing the league to foreign markets.
The 49ers spent a week in Melbourne getting acclimatised and were the clear favourites among the MCG fans, while the Rams players, who arrived only the day before, were booed when they entered the field despite being designated the ‘home’ team.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said it was cool to play in Melbourne but was not enthused about the idea of returning for another game.
“I would like to come back when I’m not working,” he said.
“I like 17 home games in San Francisco. Nothing against Australia, just don’t like to travel.”
The red jerseys of the 49ers outnumbered the Rams’ in the crowd but there were plenty of other teams’ shirts around the terraces as the NFL put on a big show that included a half-time rock concert, a military flyover and a constant barrage of colour and sound.
Goodell said the crowd was remarkable and an indication of Australians’ passion for sports.
“But I think you know we’re going to be back here,” he said.
“This is not a one-and-done for us.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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