AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL
By Kristin Seidler
YOUNGSTOWN, OH- Talented YSU punter Paddy Lynch is a former Australian Football player. Lynch is a native of Emerald, Queensland, Australia, who arrived
at YSU in January, planning to major in Communications. He is a product of PROKICK AUSTRALIA, an organization that trains talented
Australian Football players in the style of punting in the style of American Football.
Chances are you may be aware of the many “Aussies” who have made the jump from Australian Football to the United States to punt our football outrageous distances. This is not just a novelty! This season, 53 Australians occupy punting positions in 50 of 130 Division 1 Football.
Bowl Subdivision teams. In fact, an amazing 10 winners of the Ray Guy Award–presented to the best punter in college football, have been Australian.
These punters have played Australian Football, which features 18 players per team and has kicking accuracy as a vital skill set.
This game requires players to kick the ball out of their hands, often on the run. This is mainly the reason Australia produces so many punters and only a few placekickers.
Additionally, the most talented “Aussie” Football players are tapped to be trained by PROKICK AUSTRALIA, an organization that aims to develop student-athletes into punters for college and for Pro Football in the United States. PROKICK AUSTRALIA is the brainchild of its
Director, Nathan Chapman, a former Aussie Rules Pro and Green Bay Packers Practice Squad member. Due to its popularity, Chapman’s program is “invitation only”. Applicants are put through a grueling year-long commitment of punting, gym workouts, and theory sessions.
They watch as much U.S. college and pro football as they can in order to become familiar with U.S. football nuances. Says, Chapman, “So far our program has placed 185 punters into U.S. Colleges and 95% of these have been on full scholarships. These scholarships are a fantastic way for Australians to enter the USA while staying in school furthering their education and giving them an experience that may lead to the NFL.”
To further illustrate its success, for example–PROKICK AUSTRALIA has filled primary punter positions in half of the Big Ten’s 14 programs, including Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana, Rutgers, Ohio State, Illinois, and Iowa.
