San Francisco 49ers player Brayden Willis endured a gruelling 16-hour flight to Melbourne, only to be cut from the team shortly after arriving in Australia.It appeared to be a crushing end to the tight end’s journey ahead of Friday’s historic NFL match against the Los Angeles Rams at the MCG.Willis had crossed the Pacific with his teammates, battled the effects of jet lag and begun settling into Melbourne before learning he had lost his place on San Francisco’s 53-man active roster.The 49ers waived Willis to create a place for long snapper Jon Weeks, a specialist responsible for firing the ball backwards over longer distances during punts and field-goal attempts.Weeks was the only recognised long snapper travelling with the team but had been placed on its lower-tier practice squad as part of a roster manoeuvre before the season.San Francisco needed him back on the active list before facing the Rams, leaving Willis as the unlucky player forced aside. San Francisco tight end Brayden Willis flew 16 hours to Melbourne before being cut from the active roster The 49ers waived Willis to create a roster position for specialist long snapper Jon Weeks before Friday’s gameIt briefly raised the brutal prospect that Willis could be claimed by another NFL team and ordered to leave Australia almost immediately.The 26-year-old could have faced another marathon journey of more than 20 hours to join a club on the opposite side of the United States.Had nobody claimed him, San Francisco could return him to its practice squad, which allows players to train with the team without holding a permanent place on the main roster.That was ultimately what happened. Willis cleared the league’s waiver system and re-signed with the 49ers’ practice squad, allowing him to stay in Melbourne.NFL fans were still left shocked at the timing of the decision.‘This would be my type of luck if I was in the NFL,’ one supporter wrote on Reddit.Another joked that Willis had received a ‘free flight for a one-way vacation’, while others imagined the nightmare of him being claimed by a team based thousands of kilometres from California.Some supporters initially attacked the 49ers over the move before learning Willis was expected to remain with the organisation. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers arrived in Australia early as San Francisco attempted to minimise jet lag concerns NFL supporters initially slammed the brutal decision before discovering it was part of a carefully planned roster manoeuvre‘I really hope they take care of the guy,’ one fan wrote, later acknowledging it had been a procedural decision.The transaction may also reveal something important about star tight end George Kittle.Kittle travelled to Melbourne despite tearing his Achilles tendon in January. Removing another player in his position suggests San Francisco believes the veteran has a strong chance of facing the Rams.Willis can still be temporarily promoted from the practice squad if Kittle is ruled out.A seventh-round draft selection in 2023, Willis has spent much of his NFL career moving between San Francisco’s active roster and practice squad. Supporters believe his blocking ability could also allow him to develop into a fullback.His extraordinary week illustrated how quickly an NFL player’s future can change and how international matches make routine roster decisions considerably more complicated.The 49ers arrived in Melbourne a full week before the game after an advance party warned that the long journey left travellers feeling disoriented for about three days.General manager John Lynch said the club wanted its players properly adjusted before the opening match of the season.The Rams have chosen the opposite approach. They intend to arrive on Thursday morning, approximately 24 hours before kickoff, and leave Australia shortly after the game.San Francisco’s players have already attended the AFL elimination final between Geelong and Carlton, met Melbourne Storm stars and appeared at public events around the city.Willis will now remain with them, although his hopes of playing before a crowd approaching 100,000 depend on another late change to San Francisco’s roster.The 49ers face the Rams at 10.35am AEST on Friday in the first regular-season NFL match played at the MCG.