AFL
Alex Malcolm 7y

Why the AFL-to-NFL punting production line has stopped

AFL, NFL

First there was Darren Bennett, then Ben Graham, Sav Rocca and Chris Bryan.

Trailblazers making the switch from the AFL to punting in the NFL in the United States.

There was a mystique about it. These monstrous Australians with monstrous kicking ability transitioning from kicking drop punts on the MCG with a Sherrin to the bright lights of the biggest sport in the U.S.

But no one has made the transition from being a big name in AFL football to punting in the NFL since.

"I don't think there's any intrigue with Australian punters anymore," punting coach Nathan Chapman told ESPN.

Chapman played 76 AFL games with Brisbane and Hawthorn before switching to punting. He signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2004 and played some pre-season games. He now is a technical coach with Prokick Australia, an Australian based academy for aspiring punters wanting to head to the U.S. to play college or professional football.

"We've got 50 guys playing division one college football this year alone," Chapman said.

"We've got Jordan Berry who is at the Pittsburgh Steelers. We've got Sam Irwin-Hill who's at the Dallas Cowboys and we've got Cameron Johnston at the Philadelphia Eagles trying to make rosters.

"Then there's Brad Wing and there's Lachie Edwards at the (New York) Jets.

"Apart from Cameron Johnston, who was on Melbourne's list for two seasons, no one is playing in the NFL via the AFL. None of these guys went through the AFL system and got there because they had a name attached to them or it was easy. These are guys who slogged it out and worked at their craft."

Former Fremantle player Max Duffy is currently working with Chapman and Prokick in the hope of perhaps earning a scholarship to go to college in the U.S.

Former Melbourne now Collingwood defender Lynden Dunn told ESPN late last year that a possible switch to punting had crossed his mind if he wasn't picked up by another AFL club during the draft and free agency period following the 2016 season.

Chapman said AFL players could make the switch but they had to come with the right attitude.

"Just because you can kick an Aussie Rules ball doesn't mean you're going to be consistent and play in the NFL automatically or even at college," Chapman said.

"The mindset needs to be, 'I'm changing sports, I've probably got a head start on a number of other people around the world because I've played AFL and I can kick a football, but I need to take that same mentality that I need to train three days a week learning how to kick again'.

"AFL players kick the drop punt down close to the ground and that's how we kick the ball low. In (American football) we've got to kick a spiral as high as we can, therefore we've got to drop it at a different spot, we've got to drop it at a different height, our impact position needs to be at a different height, therefore we've got to put our body and swing earlier and faster, hold onto the ball longer.

"Everything is different."

For those who want to succeed it could be a 12 to 18-month commitment to break down muscle memory and kick the ball in a different manner. Those in Chapman's program have three two-hour kicking sessions a week. They start with the basics of kicking with no step.

The American game requires punts of 40 to 70m with four to five seconds of hang time in the air, and punters have 1.2 seconds to execute the perfect kick under extreme pressure from the rushing offence.

Hence the retraining process is highly mechanical, to ensure the technique doesn't break down under pressure.

"They've got to be balanced on one foot, kick, hold their leg in the air after they kick," Chapman said.

"It's all about balance and body structure. It ends up being the basis of your efficiency and power."

The high volume of kicks is combined with weights session to help build explosive power. But Chapman revealed that U.S. colleges and NFL teams aren't just looking for players that can launch long spirals.

"We don't necessarily look for the biggest kick anymore," Chapman said.

"We got a (college) scholarship for a guy last year who was asked by his coach to kick left and right foot drop punts 35 to 40m to the sideline.

"In the PAC 12 conference they move everything around. They want you to run to the right and kick it to the left.

"In the NFL they want 45 yards with four to five seconds on your hang time. What if you can do that with a drop punt more accurately? The raw power is one thing. It's also great having that power doing a drop punt. But if you can kick left and right foot and you're fast, all of a sudden you bring a different element to the special teams as well."

Former AFL players would have a chance given their physical ability but Chapman said it's no guarantee.

"You've got realise that you've basically got to start from scratch and you've got to put the effort into it and not think that it's a retirement fund," Chapman said

"You've got to realise it's not a step down, it's a step up."

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