Source :- THE AGE NEWS
By Jon Pierik
Los Angeles Rams enforcer Kevin Dotson says he and his teammates have been blown away by fan interest in the inaugural NFL blockbuster at the MCG, declaring the Rams will use this game for championship points as a springboard for Super Bowl redemption.
The waiting list for tickets for the marquee event – which could impact the AFL’s finals schedule – has hit 147,000, according to NFL Australia, and could top 200,000 soon.
The date, time and price of tickets have yet to be confirmed, but kick-off is expected to be scheduled for prime-time viewing in the US.
In awe: LA Rams enforcer Kevin Dotson cannot wait to play the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG later this year.
US media has reported it is likely to be held in the opening week of the NFL season, and could be staged on the morning of Thursday, September 10 or Friday, September 11 here – when the AFL finals series is under way. The NFL fixture is not released until May.
Dotson, the Rams’ imposing offensive linesman who makes lifting 265 kilos look easy, was in Melbourne for the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, and took time out to visit the MCG, including the dressing rooms.
“The MCG is just so much bigger than I expected. I think you can fit two football fields on the field,” Dotson said in an interview with this masthead.
Asked about what conditions, such as wind, he expected in such a cavernous stadium, Dotson replied: “They are the usual football-type conditions. I am thinking more about the amount of people that will be there. We heard the waiting list is 200,000 people, so it’s definitely going to be a rowdy event.
“I already know that Aussies are a very passionate group, so to be able to tap into that passion and get them on the NFL side of things [will be great].”
Forty per cent of tickets are expected to go to overseas visitors, with heightened NFL-type security expected outside the ground. The Rams are the host team for the event.
Dotson, 29, said he was excited about facing the 49ers, fierces rival in the NFC West.
“I think they [NFL] chose probably the best game to do it for, a rivalry game, the NFC West. I feel like all four teams are constant rivals against each other, so, I think, us being chosen as one of the best NFC teams in the west, the 49ers being a good team, they [NFL] are getting the best they could be available for Australia,” Dotson said.
The Rams, led by veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, lost the NFC championship game last season to Seattle, the eventual Super Bowl champions. The 49ers lost to the Seahawks in the divisional playoffs.
Sydney hosted an exhibition NFL game in 1999, but this game will have all the intensity of a proper clash.
The Rams – who signed star corner Trent McDuffie from Kansas last week – will be determined to kickstart their new campaign in style.
“That’s the plan, man,” Dotson said.
“You kind of have to take it [the loss to Seattle] for what it is. We lost. But we do have to take that. We understand we were a play or two away from being in the Super Bowl and possibly winning a Super Bowl. I think you take that and use that pain as a fuel to propel us this year.”
The NFL fixture will also activate the Yarra Park precinct, ensuring a party-like atmosphere for those even without tickets to the match. There could even be tailgate parties in the hours leading into the match, a weekly tradition in the US.
Nine overseas matches will be held in the 2025-26 NFL season, including Melbourne, up from a record seven in five overseas cities last season – Dublin, São Paulo, Berlin, London and Madrid.
“It’s not even a dream that I knew that I could even have,” Dotson said of playing in Melbourne.
“I am thinking about just making it to the league and now being able to spread it around, it’s just a blessing, and I just hope they [Melbourne fans] can fully appreciate the game that has given me so much.”
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