The brand new NFL season is only a month away and two Australians are battling it out for the one punting job on the New Orleans Saints.
Incumbent punter Matt Hayball, who was famously blasted by interim coach Darren Rizzi final season, faces off in opposition to James Burnip, a 198cm rookie from Victoria, who simply completed a stint on the College of Alabama.
The previous Professional Kick alums may also face competitors from American Kai Kroeger, who was added this week by the Saints.
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Just one will survive closing cuts on August 26, when NFL groups should slash their coaching camp rosters from 90 gamers to 53.
Aussie punter Matt Hayball blasted by Darren Rizzi. FOX Sports activities
It is nothing new on the Saints.
Final yr Hayball beat fellow Aussie Lou Hedley for the function.
A yr earlier than that, it was Hedley who was the rookie and supplanted the incumbent, US punter Blake Gillikin.
“There’s solely going to be one punter on the finish of camp, nevertheless it’s pleasant,” Burnip instructed The Guardian.
“We nonetheless get up, get a espresso collectively, eat, and head out to apply. We’re attempting to make one another higher.”
Hayball added: “James is proficient and dude. It is a related scenario to final yr with Lou. We’re studying from one another whereas competing. However actually, we’re competing in opposition to ourselves.”
Punter James Burnip, then of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Getty
On the Minnesota Vikings, Australian rookie punter Oscar Chapman can also be making noise at coaching camp.
The undrafted Chapman, who grew up in Adelaide enjoying Aussie guidelines earlier than spending 4 years at Auburn College, is claimed to be placing strain on incumbent punter Ryan Wright.
“Completely, I see Oscar as competitors,” Wright instructed the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“The whole lot within the NFL is competitors.”
Oscar Chapman punts for Auburn. Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos
Vikings particular groups coordinator Matt Daniels added: “Completely it is a legit competitors,” Daniels stated.
“Oscar has been a pleasure to be round. The very best factor he brings is all of the totally different sort of balls that he can hit that comes so pure by enjoying Australian guidelines soccer.
“He can go rugby, he can go finish over finish, he can go roll out, he can hit bananas, he can spiral it. When you’ve specialty balls like that it provides returners loads of totally different issues. Once you begin getting knuckleballs and banana balls, it is tough to trace it.”
