Kyle Shanahan tight-lipped on Melbourne before 49ers NFL clash

Kyle Shanahan spent the build-up to the San Francisco 49ers' regular-season match in Melbourne fielding questions about the city, and had little to offer on the subject.

«I haven’t left the hotel, except to come to this practice, for five days or however long we’ve been here, I would love to say I’m getting out and experiencing Australia and I’m sure if I did, I’d think it’s awesome,».

Asked whether the itinerary allowed for much else, Shanahan pointed to the rhythm of an NFL season rather than the destination.

«But this is just … we travel a lot, and when we do, we don’t really do anything».

The Victorian government reportedly paid more than $10m to bring the fixture to Melbourne, and the broadcast, carried into homes via Netflix, is expected to draw the largest US television audience for any game staged outside the country.

The match is the latest stop on the league's international series, which began in the UK in 2007 and has since taken in Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Ireland, France and Spain.

With the head coach keeping his impressions to himself, members of the travelling American press pack have filled the gap, offering opinions on local food and lifestyle. Grant Cohn, among the more outspoken, used his coverage to call for the Western Bulldogs to trade Marcus Bontempelli.