February 2Feb 2 2 minutes ago, kiwieagle said: Unpopular opinion on here but for me personally, I am glad to hear this. Can't believe it'll be the Eagles!!! It can be a hardship on the players and the local fans lose a game at home, but on the other side of the coin, you all get a chance that may never happen again. So in that respect, I'm glad for it. As long as it doesn't negatively affect the team, our record or chances of the 1 Seed, I'm ok with it.
February 2Feb 2 1 minute ago, VaBeach_Eagle said: It can be a hardship on the players and the local fans lose a game at home, but on the other side of the coin, you all get a chance that may never happen again. So in that respect, I'm glad for it. As long as it doesn't negatively affect the team, our record or chances of the 1 Seed, I'm ok with it. Lets just hope they do a better job with the field compared to the mess we saw in Brazil
February 2Feb 2 1 hour ago, wholesale_Melvin said: this is confirmed, right ? know it's the weekend but i haven't seen anything on the big sites (cbs sports, sports illustrated, espn.....) about this at all. Herald Sun who broke the report are owned by Murdoch who owns Fox. I'd say it's pretty much a lock 1 hour ago, kiwieagle said: Could do afternoon start AU time and its a night time game EST will be my bet. Prob Sunday avro AU / Sat night for the home market 11am or midday pending the daylight savings switch 1 hour ago, kiwieagle said: Lets just hope they do a better job with the field compared to the mess we saw in Brazil MCG turf is normally pretty impeccable, it's also after the AFL Grand Final and before cricket. It may be new turf but it should be pretty good. Cricket wicket should hopefully be nowhere near the middle by that point
February 3Feb 3 Just something to add for those that aren't aware The AFL Finals are played through September, the Grand Final is held on the last Saturday in September every year at the MCG. Cricket normally has the right to use the ground from the 1st of October, but it's generally shield games that no one cares about and involves some prep. The first 'real' cricket the ground probably sees is the Boxing Day Test on the 26th of December. There may be some Big Bash that comes before it a week or two prior. Late October makes the most sense from a stadium point of view, it gives them enough time to fix the turf after the AFL season (which runs from March through to September) and then gives them enough time to get the cricket pitch in and be ready for the major cricket commitments. The weather is generally pretty good in October and there is a daylight savings switch early October so an 8pm east coast game is 11am in Australia
February 3Feb 3 Imagine how much it would suck getting inured in this game. You either get abandoned by your team/staff in another country and have to rely on Australian healthcare to fix you… or you spend 20 hours on a plane with a broken leg. F either of those
February 3Feb 3 1 hour ago, Agent23 said: Imagine how much it would suck getting inured in this game. You either get abandoned by your team/staff in another country and have to rely on Australian healthcare to fix you… or you spend 20 hours on a plane with a broken leg. F either of those Do you really want to go there?
February 3Feb 3 I'm sure this will suck for the players/coaches, etc. But since I personally have a trip to Australia on my bucket list, this will be an opportunity to take in an Eagles game while visiting a place I've been wanting to go to anyway. Win/win...for me
February 3Feb 3 International games are cool. They just need to add a second bye week after them, and make sure the team "losing" the home game has an extra one. On the other hand, I believe we'll soon see 16 international games per season, which means everyone must play abroad once, making the calendar even again with 8 home games and 8 away games.
February 4Feb 4 What did you all think the 17th game was for? I said it before, in a couple of years, every team will play one international game per year. There is already London x 3, Munich, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Toronto. Now Melbourne. Tokyo could take one. Croke Park in Dublin is perfect for another. Amsterdam used to be a bastion of NFL Europe. Johannesburg has a big stadium. It makes too much sense for the league to do this and was the only obvious rationale for unbalancing the schedule with the extra fixture.
February 4Feb 4 I get that it’s great for the Eagles that the NFL see us as a premium team that they want us to appear in these first games in countries… But as a fan of the team I just hate it! 2026 against the Rams will likely see us giving up another home game so that will be 3 years in a row where our extra game will be on the road. The NFL should take a leaf out of footballs book. You want to showcase your sport in other countries then do it during the preseason on a tour! Don’t mess teams up in the regular season.
February 4Feb 4 3 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said: I get that it’s great for the Eagles that the NFL see us as a premium team that they want us to appear in these first games in countries… But as a fan of the team I just hate it! 2026 against the Rams will likely see us giving up another home game so that will be 3 years in a row where our extra game will be on the road. The NFL should take a leaf out of footballs book. You want to showcase your sport in other countries then do it during the preseason on a tour! Don’t mess teams up in the regular season. Its going to end up being all the extra games might as well get used to it Its not like the team we are playing is at home so its not really an advantage for anyone
February 4Feb 4 42 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said: Its going to end up being all the extra games might as well get used to it Its not like the team we are playing is at home so its not really an advantage for anyone No that’s fair I get they aren’t home either but it just means in a year where we get an extra home game we don’t get that advantage. I agree that is where this is heading… This will end up in every team playing an international game. But even that isn’t even really. There’s a big difference between your game being in say Mexico compared with being in Australia or even Europe. I just think the idea is crazy…
February 4Feb 4 You might think it is crazy, and sorry if this sounds blunt, but the NFL doesn't care about your opinion. You aren't the target audience. They are after new fans, not established ones. They are also looking to expand the future playing pool, and a country like Australia is perfect for that. It has a strong sporting culture, for one. It has a significant population of people with Pacific Islander heritage, people genetically disposoed to sports like football. It already has physical sports like the two codes of rugby and Aussie rules, which mean some key skills are already embedded - kicking, tackling, running. It's a no brainer, really. Edit: There's a further point that needs to be considered in this internationalisation of the league and the game. As safety concerns grow in the US and parents become resistant to letting their kids play football - concerns about CTE, concussion etc* - they need to diversify the availability of talent, otherwise the quality of product will dilute and, ultimately become less profitable and sustainable. Maybe I am cynical - I probably am - but from a strategic perspective it is the smart and necessary move. *At a fan event many years ago Roger Goodell told us that female soccer had higher rates of concussion than football. Didn't believe it then, don't believe it now
February 4Feb 4 4 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said: I get that it’s great for the Eagles that the NFL see us as a premium team that they want us to appear in these first games in countries… But as a fan of the team I just hate it! 2026 against the Rams will likely see us giving up another home game so that will be 3 years in a row where our extra game will be on the road. The NFL should take a leaf out of footballs book. You want to showcase your sport in other countries then do it during the preseason on a tour! Don’t mess teams up in the regular season. Lurie addressed this last night and said they won't be giving up a home game to play there. Said they'd embrace playing as a road team, but not as a home team. So, that's good, at least.
February 4Feb 4 8 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said: No that’s fair I get they aren’t home either but it just means in a year where we get an extra home game we don’t get that advantage. I agree that is where this is heading… This will end up in every team playing an international game. But even that isn’t even really. There’s a big difference between your game being in say Mexico compared with being in Australia or even Europe. I just think the idea is crazy… I've probably asked this before but don't remember the answer if I did, but did you get to go to the Eagles Jags game in 2018 when they were over there?
February 4Feb 4 13 minutes ago, VaBeach_Eagle said: I've probably asked this before but don't remember the answer if I did, but did you get to go to the Eagles Jags game in 2018 when they were over there? Not asked of me, but I did, the whole weekend was brilliant. Kept hearing Go Birds everywhere I went in my colours. I felt among my people. I was drinking with Philadelphians all weekend. Some fans had even flown in from Dallas, of all places. I was an unofficial tour guide at times. An experience I will never forget.
February 4Feb 4 I meant to add - don't underestimate how cherished these games are by an international fanbase. I went to ten or more games in London. I waited a long time to see the Eagles. I saw Cleo Lemon play QB for the Dolphins, for example. I paid my dues. I helped to promote a couple of the games. Went to a flash mob in Victoria station - one of the main London transport hubs for trains, buses and tubes. I met some Saints players (MASSIVE except the punter) and cheerleaders (the Saintsations). I interviewed (with others) Roger Goodell. I sat through some awful games. But at every game there were fans of all 32 teams, plus legacy NFL Europe teams, bringing colour, vibes, passion. I went to official, league-organised Super Bowl parties in massive and prestigious venues. Each of these games and events were tremendous in their own way, apart from being made to drink Coors Light (which proves some things, especially beer, are definitely best left to Europeans). Lifelong memories were made for so many of us by the International Series.
February 4Feb 4 10 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said: The NFL should take a leaf out of footballs book. You want to showcase your sport in other countries then do it during the preseason on a tour! Don’t mess teams up in the regular season. There are like 2 pre-season games and the starters don't see the field. If you're trying expand into the market you don't send John David Booty to play Timmy Chang. You've also got guys like Mailata (although he is from Sydney and not Melbourne), Rocca, Siposs and Cam Johnston to name a few ex Eagles that are from Melbourne. The MCG holds 100,000 people so they aren't going to be short on ticket sales. Being an oval it will be interesting to see if they add some temporary seats in to have it closer to the action
February 4Feb 4 So the arcs are 50m. There are 2 of them and the centre square. It's a monster sized field compared to an NFL field
February 4Feb 4 30 minutes ago, Mat said: So the arcs are 50m. There are 2 of them and the centre square. It's a monster sized field compared to an NFL field What a venue! One day I will go to the Boxing Day Ashes test there. Oh my
February 4Feb 4 2 hours ago, kiwinavega said: I meant to add - don't underestimate how cherished these games are by an international fanbase. That's the only reason I'm not opposed to these games. I've never been to an Eagles game myself, I've only actually been to Redskins and Cowboys games (2 in D.C. and 1 in Dallass). But despite being hated rival teams, it was still a good time and a cool experience.
February 5Feb 5 13 hours ago, VaBeach_Eagle said: I've probably asked this before but don't remember the answer if I did, but did you get to go to the Eagles Jags game in 2018 when they were over there? I didn’t unfortunately no. I had tickets and was all set to go… however I was in Dublin that weekend and my Saturday night flight back was cancelled so I missed the game. To say I was devastated would be a slight understatement.
February 5Feb 5 On 2/1/2025 at 9:00 PM, time2rock said: This had better be a "home” game for the Rams. The NFL had this all in mind with adding the extra regular season game. So the fans still get 8 home games in their stadium. This year they were the "home" team in Brazil but also had 8 home games at the Linc. They're going to keep doing this, the plan is to have NFL teams in other countries. It's about global expansion and more money. Also btw, there are no "home" games for the Rams because of Los Angeles "fans."
February 5Feb 5 20 hours ago, Mat said: There are like 2 pre-season games and the starters don't see the field. If you're trying expand into the market you don't send John David Booty to play Timmy Chang. You've also got guys like Mailata (although he is from Sydney and not Melbourne), Rocca, Siposs and Cam Johnston to name a few ex Eagles that are from Melbourne. The MCG holds 100,000 people so they aren't going to be short on ticket sales. Being an oval it will be interesting to see if they add some temporary seats in to have it closer to the action I doubt they would because it would just create more obstructed views. I don't miss the days where NFL teams used baseball/football stadiums or Olympic sized stadiums that started the fans out so far away from the field. It's great for the locals to have the NFL experience, but personally I'd hate to watch an NFL game in that stadium.
February 5Feb 5 F this, how do teams like Dallas and Pittsburgh get off not having to do this bullsheet? or the Chiefs? The NFL hates us.
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