{"id":8729,"date":"2026-09-08T22:12:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T22:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8729"},"modified":"2026-09-08T22:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T22:12:43","slug":"inman-down-under-from-breaching-mcg-gates-to-discovering-fitzroy-gardens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8729","title":{"rendered":"Inman Down Under: From breaching MCG gates to discovering Fitzroy Gardens"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>MELBOURNE, Australia \u2013 Red paint was being sprayed onto the north end zone\u2019s grass at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground in Tuesday\u2019s twilight.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8727\">South Bay tech and medical campus lands buyer at a discount<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The 49ers\u2019 logo was already done, as was their name in traditional Saloon font.<\/p>\n<p>Such a welcome mat would not exist at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which normally hosts the 49ers\u2019 annual visit and takeover of the Rams\u2019 home field.<\/p>\n<p>This, of course, is the NFL\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>The MCG, or the \u2019G, is a deeply historic, circular venue that will captivate the 100,000 fans who attend and the millions who stream this game\u2019s broadcast onto their televisions, laptops, and mobile devices (via Netflix and\/or NBC Bay Area).<\/p>\n<p>To grasp the venue\u2019s massive aura, I coyly worked my way inside the MCG just after 49ers\u2019 Brock Purdy\u2019s post-practice interview on Tuesday, taking a quick walk across a bridge from AAPI Park, the 49ers\u2019 training ground.<\/p>\n<p>I breached the MCG gates by sincerely seeking to visit the Australian Sports Museum on the stadium\u2019s concourse, and the wonderful staff waved my through just before closing time at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so pleased we get to show the museum off to an international audience,\u201d museum curator Alex McClennan told me. \u201cWe\u2019re one of the largest sports museums in the world, and the biggest here in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re 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\u2019s landmark appearance.<\/p>\n<p>After getting cultured in Australia\u2019s sporting feats \u2013 cricket, Aussie rules football, tennis, their America\u2019s Cup triumph, significant milestones and trophies \u2013 I asked a stadium worker for permission to peek at the NFL\u2019s newest international stage.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019 end zone. The Rams\u2019 was already done in blue 100 yards to the right.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8725\">Fall arts 2026: Here are 7 Bay Area productions dance fans should know about<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Check back before kickoff for my impressions and history lesson about the MCG. Onward to more Inman-about-town experiences:<\/p>\n<p><strong>COFFEE TALK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is my 27th season traveling on the company\u2019s dime, gratefully. Warning: Our literal bean counters will find oddities in this trip\u2019s expense report.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, I\u2019ve had an occasional coffee over the years. Here, it\u2019s mandatory to have multiple stops and different orders to fully grasp this city\u2019s renowned coffee culture.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, I\u2019ve had Melbourne\u2019s \u201cmagic\u201d 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\u2019t shy about sharing a recommendation.<\/p>\n<p>As for the other expenses, the work schedule now constrains food exploration, at least until dinner. Tuesday night\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FREE FOOD<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lunch is not served to the media at AAMI Park beyond chips, cookies, water and instant coffee. Not that we\u2019re complaing. But we get hungry, and Tuesday I hit the food jackpot outside the stadium.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s nearby restaurant, CHOOK. It was fabulous, and free. As juicy as Popeye\u2019s but less greasy and seemingly healthy. Approved.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PARK IT HERE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>High-rise office buildings and apartment complexes soar with vibrant architecture, and they are packed into Melbourne\u2019s Central Business District (1-mile long, \u00bd-mile wide). Where to unwind or go for a traffic-free run?<\/p>\n<p>Sure, there is the Yarra River Trail. But the Fitzroy Gardens is bucolic and gorgeous, and it\u2019s 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\u2019ve ever enjoyed. Benches, trees, open space, flowers, water features, oh my.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8723\">High school football rankings Week 3, 2026: Bay Area News Group Top 25<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tuesday&#8217;s travel log included an impromptu break-in to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to see the 49ers&#8217; end zone get painted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Inman Down Under: From breaching MCG gates to discovering Fitzroy Gardens - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8729\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inman Down Under: From breaching MCG gates to discovering Fitzroy Gardens - 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