Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
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rhickok1109 wrote:Dickson is from Australia and played Australian Rules Football, which features punt-like kicking. I've often wondered why there aren't more Aussie punters in American football, because there are guys down there who can kick goals from 70 meters away, which is nearly 80 yards. The only other that I know of is Mat McBriar, who punted for several NFL teams not too long ago.
I had actually meant to bring this into my earlier discussion, it's interesting that Field Goal kicking advanced in large part by integrating European and immigrants from other Soccer playing countries. It's interesting and obvious as you look at it that Soccer translates much better into FG's than it does into Punting which, great observation, is more similar to an Aussie Rules FB or Rugby style of kicking. That said the worldwide population of soccer players versus Rugby and Aussie Rules Football players is very different, probably puts a natural cap on immigrant Punters.
rhickok1109 wrote:Dickson is from Australia and played Australian Rules Football, which features punt-like kicking. I've often wondered why there aren't more Aussie punters in American football, because there are guys down there who can kick goals from 70 meters away, which is nearly 80 yards. The only other that I know of is Mat McBriar, who punted for several NFL teams not too long ago.
I had actually meant to bring this into my earlier discussion, it's interesting that Field Goal kicking advanced in large part by integrating European and immigrants from other Soccer playing countries. It's interesting and obvious as you look at it that Soccer translates much better into FG's than it does into Punting which, great observation, is more similar to an Aussie Rules FB or Rugby style of kicking. That said the worldwide population of soccer players versus Rugby and Aussie Rules Football players is very different, probably puts a natural cap on immigrant Punters.
Yeah...but, whatever the total population of Aussie Rules players, several of them can kick goals from nearly 80 yards away. That translates into a punt of at least 70 yards.