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There is simply a sadistic ritual involving Australian punters that takes spot this clip of twelvemonth successful Louisiana’s aggravated summertime heat, adjacent nan bayous and swamps that are location to alligators and venomous cottonmouth snakes. It features erstwhile Australian rules footballers battling for a azygous $US3m NFL punting statement pinch nan New Orleans Saints.
This year’s showdown began pinch Matt Hayball, a erstwhile Geelong Cat and nan Saints’ incumbent punter, against James Burnip, a 198cm rookie from Mount Macedon successful Victoria, who conscionable wrapped a standout punting profession astatine nan University of Alabama. The Saints analyzable nan conflict this week by signing a 3rd punter, American Kai Kroeger.
Only 1 will past last cuts connected 26 August, erstwhile NFL teams must slash their training campy rosters from 90 players to 53. The victor will bask nan spotlight and riches of playing successful America’s astir celebrated sports league, while nan losers will beryllium unemployed and near pinch nan agelong changeable dream 1 of nan different 31 NFL teams mightiness request a punter.
“It’s nan quality of nan NFL,” Hayball tells Guardian Australia from a boisterous Saints locker room wrong nan Ochsner Sports Performance Center successful New Orleans. “You’re ever competing for your position, and it’s nan aforesaid for each different subordinate successful this building.”
This isn’t Hayball’s first showdown. Last year, he was nan rookie and edged retired West Australian and Saints incumbent punter Lou Hedley. A twelvemonth earlier that, it was Hedley who was nan rookie and ousted nan incumbent, American punter Blake Gillikin.
No NFL squad has embraced Australian punters much than nan Saints successful caller years. They prize their mobility, toughness and versatile kicking skills, honed from years of booting a Sherrin connected some feet. Special teams coordinator Phil Galiano moreover dubbed Hayball “The Aussie Flash” past play aft a successful clone punt saw him dash 11 yards for a first down.
Despite nan cutthroat stakes, Hayball and Burnip support a relaxed camaraderie.
“There’s only going to beryllium 1 punter astatine nan extremity of camp, but it’s friendly,” Burnip says. “We still aftermath up, get a java together, eat, and caput retired to practice. We’re trying to make each different better.”
“James is talented and a bully dude,” says Hayball. “It’s a akin business to past twelvemonth pinch Lou. We’re learning from each different while competing. But really, we’re competing against ourselves.”
Hayball and Burnip are graduates of ProKick Australia, nan Melbourne-based punting academy that has sent respective 100 erstwhile Australian rules footballers to play pinch US colleges.
“Matt was leaving ProKick for nan US erstwhile I was conscionable starting,” Burnip says. “We kept successful touch whenever he came backmost to Australia.”
Like galore earlier them, some endured nan heartbreak of seeing their AFL dreams fade. Hayball was raised successful Adelaide, played U18s arsenic a midfielder pinch nan West Adelaide Football Club and was drafted by Geelong successful 2015. But aft 3 years playing for nan Cats successful nan second-tier VFL, he was delisted. He joined ProKick, secured a punting danasiwa astatine Florida Atlantic University, and later transferred to Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University.
Burnip played inferior footy successful nan Riddell District Football League, but erstwhile it became clear nan AFL wasn’t successful his future, he pivoted. “I recovered ProKick, and nan remainder is history,” he says.
Burnip landed astatine US assemblage shot powerhouse Alabama successful 2021, won nan starting occupation nether legendary coach Nick Saban, and became nan Tide’s punter for 4 seasons – though Saban often referred to him arsenic a “rugby player”.
While Hayball enters nan Saints campy arsenic nan incumbent and having led nan NFL past play successful punts downed wrong nan opponent’s 20-yard line, caller history favours nan rookie. The Saints person opted for nan rookie punter successful each of nan past 3 training campy duels.
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Hayball is successful nan 2nd twelvemonth of a three-year, $US2.84m contract, truthful has already pocketed adjacent to $US1m. Burnip, undrafted astatine April’s NFL draft, quickly signed a three-year $US2.975m free supplier woody pinch nan Saints. But pinch conscionable $US35,000 guaranteed, that’s each Burnip will support if trim later this month.
Kroeger, besides a rookie, has had a short and tumultuous NFL career. He punted for nan University of South Carolina nan past 4 years, besides was undrafted successful April, was signed by nan New York Jets, waived connected 27 July and picked up by nan Saints 4 days later.
They are each good alert of what Saints caput coach Kellen Moore and Galiano are looking for.
“It’s astir consistency, bent time, distance, direction, getting nan shot disconnected quickly, and flipping nan field,” Burnip says. “If you tin do those things, you’ll person a beautiful successful career.”
Hayball says he is “chasing perfection pinch each punt.”
“Last twelvemonth I did a bully occupation getting it wrong nan 20, but this twelvemonth I want much plays down wrong nan 10 aliases five. Those tin beryllium crippled changers.”
If Hayball wins nan occupation and stays successful New Orleans, he has 1 non-NFL goal: exploring nan Louisiana swamps connected an alligator sightseeing tour.
“I cognize [Saints kicker Blake] Grupe is into that benignant of stuff, truthful I mightiness tag on adjacent clip he goes,” Hayball says.
When asked if Americans mightiness expect him to spell afloat Steve Irwin and jump retired of nan vessel and wrestle an alligator, he grins. “Nah, I couldn’t spot myself doing that. Even though our crocs are measurement bigger successful Australia, I still wouldn’t want to stock nan h2o pinch them.”
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