Inman Down Under: All roads (laneways) lead to 49ers, Faithful swarming Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia – Mystique lurks in this city’s narrow laneways.

You can find Instagram-famous coffee spots, mesmerizing murals by graffiti artists, coveted restaurants, and, as I discovered on a Sunday stroll, the Marshall family.

Brett Marshall, 45, is a lifelong 49ers fan whose mother moved here from San Francisco in the late 1970s.

Marshall’s tax-accounting office is around the corner from the 49ers hotel this week ahead of Friday morning’s season opener here against the Los Angeles Rams.

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He celebrated Father’s Day here by taking a family outing with his wife, Lisa, and their children, Josh and Emily. They posed for a picture in front of a 49ers mural amid Hosier Lane’s famed street art.

What if a Rams fan comes and defaces that 49ers’ art? “There’s no Rams fans here,” Marshall repied quickly – and somewhat accurately.

The Marshalls will be at Friday’s 10:35 a.m. AUST kickoff, except for their young daughter. It’s a school day, after all.

CHEER COMPETITION

Unbeknownst to 49ers beat reporters, the franchise organized a pom-pom gathering in Fed Square that attracted a world record for the largest synchronized cheerleading dance, with 1,424 participants. Among them was the 49ers Gold Rush, as well as the aforementioned Emily Marshall, whose parents tipped me off about the cheer competition an hour earlier while we met at Hosier Lane.

NO DAYS OFF

Sunday was considered an off-day for the 49ers’ players. A few went shopping (per Louis Vuitton sources) and Deebo Samuel went on a 3-mile run next to the Yarra River, as he posted in an Instagram Story.

Monday’s practice at AAMI Park (near the Melbourne Cricket Ground) begins at 12:35 p.m., preceded at 11:20 a.m. by coach Kyle Shanahan’s first media session in Australia. Players, selected by the 49ers, will speak to reporters after practice.

Tuesday’s agenda: Coordinators Raheem Morris (defense) and Klay Kubiak (offense) speak at noon, followed by practice at 1:30 p.m. before player availability, including quarterback Brock Purdy’s scheduled session.

Wednesday’s final official practice before the season opener offers a quick media viewing for roll call at 1:05 p.m., then Shanahan and players will speak at a podium at roughly 2:20 p.m.

The Rams, meanwhile, are not arriving until Thursday morning, and their only media availability will be at 4:30 p.m. before practice.

COSTLY SOUVENIRS

The exchange rate is $1 U.S. to about $1.39 Australian. Maybe that takes the sting out of high prices for souvenirs such as sweatshirts, T-shirts and caps.

You’ll have to shell out $120 AUD for a sweatshirt showing a kangaroo promoting the 49ers’ Australian debut, $180 AUD for one with the NFL shield touting Melbourne’s milestone game. Some 49ers caps come in Australian green or, gulp, Dodger blue, for $60 to $75. A 49ers jersey is going for $180 but not with a nice stitched nameplate.

ROCK ON

There’s no finer laneway for rock-and-roll fans than AC/DC Lane off Flinders Lane. Last month, AC/DC made an ever-louder tour stop at the 49ers’ home of Levi’s Stadium. Sunday morning, at 7 a.m. sharp, AC/DC’s “Back In Black” blared from an apartment neighboring my hotel room. Great wake-up call. Beat the nearby church bells by two hours.