AFL kicking technique helps Colts punter February 2, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS Colts punter Hunter Smith admits he has borrowed a kicking technique from the AFL to help his team in Monday's Super Bowl. In a sign of the growing influence of Australians on the National Football League punting, Smith said a technique learned from former West Coast and Melbourne AFL player Darren Bennett changed his career. "One thing I did pick up from Darren Bennett when he was the punter for San Diego, I picked up the end-over-end, Aussie-rules-style punt that you do in close situations," Smith told radio Sport 927 yesterday. "I picked that up, and it literally transformed my game." The drop punt, the basic kicking style learnt by all AFL players, also has been a significant weapon for former Geelong player Ben Graham, now punting for the New York Jets. Graham and another Australian punter, Mat McBriar of the Dallas Cowboys, both helped their teams into the NFL play-offs this season. McBriar, who led the NFL punting averages, was also selected for the end-of-season NFL Pro Bowl game. Brad Maynard, whose Chicago Bears will play Indianapolis in the Super Bowl, said while it was too late in his punting career to learn new tricks, he would advise up-and-comers to study the Australians. "If there was a young kid that wanted some advice, I might send him some tape of those two punters (Graham and McBriar) because they are excellent punters," Maynard said. Former Collingwood and Kangaroos player Saverio Rocca is following the path from AFL to NFL laid by Bennett and Graham, having recently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 33-year-old now has to compete with veteran incumbent punter Dirk Johnson to nail a spot in the side for next season. While Rocca has a prodigious kick, Smith said there were other attributes needed to make a successful conversion. "Kicking the ball is one thing, catching it and getting it off all in a very short amount of time is another thing," Smith said. AAP
Sorta funny.... Ben used the torpedo MUCH more than the drop punt this year. He has confidence in it now. McBriar isn't better than Graham.... the only real way to know how good a punter is, is to watch all of his games. Too often, it's just the gross and net numbers that determine which player goes to the pro bowl. Those stats fall far short of telling the whole story.
i dunno ive catched a good amount of cowboys games cuz one of my best friends is a fan. so we watch both boys/jets games together. mcbriar has quite a leg on him. his punts usually get more air time. at least it appears to me. then again i dont care enough to fully compare the two cuz theyre both great. but to definitely say graham is better, i have to disagree. were still lucky graham came through the way he did though.
