NEW ORLEANS -- It's been seven years since Jordan Mailata made the switch from rugby to American football, yet his roots are still quite visible.
The Philadelphia Eagles tackle owns a distinct Australian accent, and when he took the podium for media sessions during the week, he fielded plenty of questions regarding his connection to his home country, ranging from his International Player Pathway program experience -- which Mailata honestly described as a "long process" -- to the tens of thousands who will watch him play in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
The week marked the perfect time, then, for the NFL to announce it will host its first-ever regular season game in Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2026 as part of a multiyear commitment. The league made the deal official Wednesday as part of its effort to continue to grow the game across the globe.
"I think we've done a good job the last six, seven, maybe even the last decade of trying to grow the sport down there," Mailata said Thursday. "The more the merrier. Hopefully, this isn't a one and done."
Mailata joined the Eagles as a developmental prospect with obvious physical tools that Philadelphia hoped would translate to the American game. Due to his total lack of experience playing football, Mailata was as raw as prospects come, but under the tutelage of venerated offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, Mailata grew into a dependable tackle who was recently captured cackling with joy after clearing a lane for his ball-carrying teammate, Saquon Barkley, to sprint through toward pay dirt.
It's worked out quite well for Mailata, who understands the importance of exposure to the game for the next generation of Australian football prospects. He also knows that connection will only grow the sport further.
"The IPP program that I was a part of was kind of aimed to bridge the gap between the respective country that the player is from and the NFL," Mailata said, "so I thought it was only a matter of time before the game was going to get moved back home."
Before the NFL officially touches down in Australia, Mailata has a pretty important appointment on his calendar: Super Bowl LIX. He'll hope to have a reason to bring some special hardware with him to Australia between now and the moment the league arrives for their first game in Melbourne in 2026.
