It's happening.
The NFL is bringing a regular season game to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in October 2026, with the LA Rams confirmed as the home team.
Not a preseason game, not an exhibition, not the Pro Bowl, but one of the cherished 17 regular season outings each team knows can separate a season of glory from an offseason of regret and ceaseless head-scratching.
There are obviously bigger markets across the world, with greater populations, less troublesome time zones and richer economies to tap into. So, what does it say about the Australian market, the fans, the growing talent, and our rising love of American football that the NFL has pointed to Australia as its next in-season host?
It means, it's being seen.
There will be plenty of think-pieces about the finances of this decision - how much revenue the Victorian Government will generate, the operating cost for teams, and of course, how we manicure and maintain the hallowed turf at the MCG.
But for the fans, the early risers for 3am kick-offs on Mondays, the second-screen watchers at work, the NFL group chat enthusiasts and the rising number of jersey-rocking tragics, this historic decision to take the American game about as far as a commercial plane can fly is a celebration.
The NFL in Australia has gone from niche, to niche-plus, to 'how many of your mates do you know who aren't in a fantasy football league?' over the past decade.
Beyond just a massive day out in Melbourne, this game is also a reflection of the region's growing presence in the NFL landscape. A far-off continent long-known for its punting exports now boasts three offensive lineman, two defensive lineman and two tight ends signed to NFL teams as of today, with many more flooding into the high school and college ranks. The Gold Coast is now home to just the second NFL academy outside of the United States.
And that's where the long-term impact lies. Seeing the spectacle, the explosive athleticism and all the pageantry in person on their home shores can only sharpen the image of playing American football for emerging athletes. More and more young Australian fans are finding the NFL, and the pathway set by Jordan Mailata, Daniel Faalele, Adam Gotsis, Laekin Vakalahi, Patrick Murtagh and Jotham Russell is no longer a fairytale.
It's real, and it's open.
At the same time as more scouting eyes from college programs and NFL teams are casting their gaze to the Asia Pacific for the next diamond by the beach or in the Aussie suburbs, so are our talented, contact-ready athletes looking at chancing their skillsets on a shot at the American game.
Pouring gasoline on those embers is a bonafide NFL clash in our backyard, the spirals soaring in real life, not just in high definition, and the hits coming from the field, not through your speakers. No alarm needed.