The sun was shining on NFL fans following the historic first season match played in Australia, as thousands flocked to pubs and bars to celebrate.
With the match played early to suit US viewers, more than 100,000 fans who filled the Melbourne Cricket Ground had the afternoon to soak in the historic moment after the San Francisco 49ers upset the Los Angeles Rams 27-7.
Among them was long-time 49ers fan Cameron Macpherson, who flew down from the Gold Coast and headed to the Imperial Hotel on Bourke Street after watching his first live NFL match.
"Being a big NFL supporter it was awesome to see and witness live," he told AAP.
"Every quarter, I was just like, 'There's no way this is happening in front of us'."
Fans came from interstate and overseas to catch the match, with many Americans including Mitch and Lisa Cooper structuring a holiday around the game.
Coming from the home of the big stadiums, Mitch said the MCG exceeded his expectations.
"Everybody was fantastic and welcoming, and things moved; we got in, got out, we got beers, got to the bathroom," he told AAP.
The ground being an oval for cricket and AFL rather than a rectangle meant fans were further away from the action, with Mitch saying next time he might choose not to sit in the middle of the field.
However, overall the experience was fantastic, said Mitch, who almost fell asleep after the game, before heading out to join the packed-out Transport Hotel at Federation Square.
On the business side of things, the bean counters were happy too, with it costing the state a reported $10 million to $15 million to host the game, while generating an estimated $300 million in economic activity.
"This event is just dividends for our hotels, dividends for our pubs, our clubs," Premier Ben Carroll said on Friday.
"Everyone is talking about Melbourne, Victoria."
The NFL has a four-year deal with Victoria to host at least two games, with the option for a third, and Mr Carroll said Melbourne had a "secret sauce" to fend off interest from other states.
"I think anyone would want it but I was just speaking to someone from Brisbane who said 'Brisbane couldn't do this if they tried'," he said.
With the match over, players and their extensive entourages had time to take in some of the best Australia has to offer.
Corey Williams, who represents Rams linebacker Shaun Dolac, said he only touched down in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Friday was business, but he had big plans for Saturday before catching a red-eye back to the US on Sunday morning.
"I want to see a kangaroo, I want to see some koalas and I want to see the march of the penguins," Mr Williams said.
