MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have arrived in Australia, mostly gotten over the impact of the long flight and now are getting prepared to open their season Friday in Melbourne against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Niners left California last Wednesday, arrived in Australia on Friday and were set for their first practice of game week on Monday at AAMI Park in Melbourne feeling mostly refreshed after players got a day to explore the city. The Rams are still back home and won't arrive until Thursday.
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“It took a couple days to adjust but feeling real good today,” coach Kyle 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.”
Some players went to an Australian Football League game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where the 49ers will face the Rams in the first NFL regular season game ever played in the country.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey didn't make it to the game but heard positive reports from his teammates. He has enjoyed his time here so far and is glad the team got to make this long trip. He said the instructions from the team's training staff made sure that the jet lag wasn't a big factor with the main issue just being cooped up on a plane for so long.
But now he's refreshed and ready to play.
“We’re fired up, man,” he said. “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 wasn't so excited when it was first announced that San Francisco was opening the season here instead of playing the Rams in a much shorter trip to Los Angeles in front of what is usually a partisan 49ers crowd.
But his view has changed a bit after making the trip and hearing how many 49ers supporters are expected at the game.
“That was nothing against Australia or anything, that’s just about competition and how important our 17 games are,” he said. “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.”
San Francisco held its first full practice of the week Monday in Australia, which was still Sunday night back in California.
Shanahan typically gives an injury update on the first practice day of a game week but opted against it because the Rams don't have to do it until they practice on Monday in California, which will be Tuesday in Australia.
So any updates on the status of players like tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa will have to wait.
“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 said. “So I’m not talking about them.”
The one notable injury update Shanahan did give was that defensive end Sam Okuayinonu broke his foot at the team's last practice before leaving on Wednesday. He was placed on injured reserve and will miss most of the season.
The Niners kept the same eight captains for the season that they had last year. Quarterback Brock Purdy will be joined by McCaffrey, Kittle, Bosa, Kyle Juszczyk, Trent Williams, Fred Warner and Deommodore Lenoir.
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