The first-ever regular-season NFL game played in Australia has had its date confirmed, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground to host the historic match in the middle of the AFL finals series.
The clash between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, division rivals in the NFC West, will be played on Friday, September 11.
The kick-off for the highly anticipated match will be at 10:35am AEST, fitting into the NFL’s prized Thursday night timeslot back in the US.
The timing of the match may cause headaches for the AFL, with its prized stadium being used during the league’s semifinal weekend.
The AFL’s new 10-team finals series will begin with a wildcard round in the final weekend in August, followed by the usual finals series format.
The semifinal weekend, where the two losers of the previous weekend’s qualifying finals host the two winners of the elimination finals, is usually held on Friday and Saturday nights.
However, if two Victorian clubs are hosting on the semifinal weekend, they could force a rethink for the league with the NFL being played on the Friday.
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