Articles by Jake Niall

Entertainment

Drop punt it like Daicos: The AFL’s impact on NFL stars ahead of MCG showdown

Los Angeles: When the Los Angeles Rams come to the MCG for the first regular-season NFL game in Australia, they could well be playing at the strange time of 10am, after a period of adjustment following a 14-hour flight. If this sounds less than convenient – the morning start, if it happens, would be for the benefit of a vast TV audience in the US – the Rams players don’t care about how long they travel, about the unusual size of the MCG, or the potential for a weird starting time. “[It] makes no difference to me,” said star LA running back Kyren Williams in one of a series of interviews this week organised for Australian media by the Rams, who have struck a deal with the Victorian government that will see the Rams play an as-yet-unnamed opponent in the week of the AFL semi-finals. “I’ll play wherever, wherever they tell us the ball’s going to be kicked off I’ll go play,” said Williams.