A century before the NFL arrived for its anticipated match at the MCG, American football had already reached Melbourne.

The latest chapter in the storied history of the MCG is about to unfold as the venue is transformed for Friday’s NFL match then changed back to AFL finals mode.

The thought of coming to Australia to play an NFL game didn’t initially appeal to San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, but he and his team have quickly warmed to the idea.