Inman Down Under: From breaching MCG gates to discovering Fitzroy Gardens

MELBOURNE, Australia – Red paint was being sprayed onto the north end zone’s grass at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground in Tuesday’s twilight.

The 49ers’ logo was already done, as was their name in traditional Saloon font.

Such a welcome mat would not exist at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which normally hosts the 49ers’ annual visit and takeover of the Rams’ home field.

This, of course, is the NFL’s first regular-season stop in Australia, and it comes Friday at 10:30 a.m. here, or Thursday at 5:35 p.m. back in California.

The MCG, or the ’G, is a deeply historic, circular venue that will captivate the 100,000 fans who attend and the millions who stream this game’s broadcast onto their televisions, laptops, and mobile devices (via Netflix and/or NBC Bay Area).

To grasp the venue’s massive aura, I coyly worked my way inside the MCG just after 49ers’ Brock Purdy’s post-practice interview on Tuesday, taking a quick walk across a bridge from AAPI Park, the 49ers’ training ground.

I breached the MCG gates by sincerely seeking to visit the Australian Sports Museum on the stadium’s concourse, and the wonderful staff waved my through just before closing time at 5 p.m.

“I’m so pleased we get to show the museum off to an international audience,” museum curator Alex McClennan told me. “We’re one of the largest sports museums in the world, and the biggest here in Australia.”

If you’re in the Melbourne area reading this, I suggest you also race into that museum. It is open this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. AUST before closing for four days to accommodate the NFL’s landmark appearance.

After getting cultured in Australia’s sporting feats – cricket, Aussie rules football, tennis, their America’s Cup triumph, significant milestones and trophies – I asked a stadium worker for permission to peek at the NFL’s newest international stage.

To my surprise, I strode toward the lower-level seats (on a much flatter incline than U.S. venues) and admired a five-man crew painting the 49ers’ end zone. The Rams’ was already done in blue 100 yards to the right.

It’s always so cool and peaceful when a stadium is at rest, as it will be after 72 chaotic hours from when I first made entry here. The finishing touches are being done inside and around the stadium. Massive tents for shops and bars occupy the neighboring park. The NFL loves its tentpole events, indeed.

Check back before kickoff for my impressions and history lesson about the MCG. Onward to more Inman-about-town experiences:

COFFEE TALK

This is my 27th season traveling on the company’s dime, gratefully. Warning: Our literal bean counters will find oddities in this trip’s expense report.

Sure, I’ve had an occasional coffee over the years. Here, it’s mandatory to have multiple stops and different orders to fully grasp this city’s renowned coffee culture.

Yes, I’ve had Melbourne’s “magic” variation, and a flat white, a tall black, an iced tall black, another flat white, and a piccolo that is like a baby latte in an espresso cup. Every Melbourne resident or visitor isn’t shy about sharing a recommendation.

As for the other expenses, the work schedule now constrains food exploration, at least until dinner. Tuesday night’s was at Coda, where our table of eight Bay Area media enjoyed Asian-fusion trappings, washed down with my discovery of an outstanding beer, Beachworth Pale Ale.

FREE FOOD

Lunch is not served to the media at AAMI Park beyond chips, cookies, water and instant coffee. Not that we’re complaing. But we get hungry, and Tuesday I hit the food jackpot outside the stadium.

Before getting interviewed by Fox Sports Australia, a guy walked up and asked us reporters to sample and review a chicken sandwich from his friend’s nearby restaurant, CHOOK. It was fabulous, and free. As juicy as Popeye’s but less greasy and seemingly healthy. Approved.

PARK IT HERE

High-rise office buildings and apartment complexes soar with vibrant architecture, and they are packed into Melbourne’s Central Business District (1-mile long, ½-mile wide). Where to unwind or go for a traffic-free run?

Sure, there is the Yarra River Trail. But the Fitzroy Gardens is bucolic and gorgeous, and it’s better suited for a calm stroll, some 15 to 20 minutes up from the CBD and through to the MCG. It is one of the most gorgeous paths I’ve ever enjoyed. Benches, trees, open space, flowers, water features, oh my.