Essendon champion Dustin Fletcher was one of the longest kicks to ever grace the AFL – and son Mason is continuing the proud family tradition over in the United States.
The fruit hasn’t fallen far from the tree with the 22-year old son of a gun, who lit up the American college football scene with a record-breaking monster punt for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Fletcher’s punt from near his own end zone literally travelled to the opposite end of the Gerald J. Ford Stadium, bouncing into the other end zone and finishing with a staggering distance of 84 yards – that’s nearly 77 metres.
The punt is a new American Athletic Conference record, as well as comfortably the longest punt seen in college football anywhere in the country this year.
As expected, fans took to social media to praise Fletcher’s super boot; among his new fans is American-born Collingwood AFL player Mason Cox, who took the opposite route across the Pacific Ocean.
Fletcher reacted with class to his record-breaking effort after the Bearcats’ win over the SMU Mustangs, praising coach Luke Fickell and the Cincinnati program for shaping his kicking game.
The younger Fletcher trained with Essendon during 2019 and had hopes of following his father and grandfather Ken’s proud family tradition at the Bombers, but opted in 2020 to head stateside after signing a scholarship with the University of Cincinnati.
This isn’t the first time the Australian has captured the attention of his new home, going viral in a game at the start of this year after breaking out a Conor McGregor-style ‘billionaire strut’ following a 54-yard punt.
However, he still has a bit of work to do to catch his father’s best effort, with Dustin roosting an enormous 75-metre goal in 2007 against St Kilda – that didn’t even need to bounce.
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
What am I missing? Is it because the NFL players bodies are big? Because it doesn't look that long a distance?
Mark
Guest
I agree Luke. It was a big punt, but got a good bounce. My point was that the 84 yds quoted in the article was simply the distance from the line of scrimmage (16 yd line) to the end zone. The actual distance of the punt after bouncing was about 105 yds, with the first 72 or so in the air. People who don't understand American football often make the same mistake when they refer to the distance involved in a pass and reception. A 90 yd "pass" doesn't mean the QB threw the ball 90 yds - it means that his team gained 90 yds from the line of scrimmage to where the receiver end up tackled (or in the end zone) with the ball.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Didn't bounce in my yard. Meh.
Luke
Guest
But actual distance before it bounced was about 75 yards. He kicked at 5 yard line and it bounced at about 23-24 yard line of opposition, which I guess would make it a little over 70 yards from kick to bounce…and yes, it bounced another 30 yards
Mark
Guest
The punt actually travelled over 105 yards. It counts as 84 because the ball was snapped at the 16 yd line and rolled into the end zone, but in terms of actual distance travelled he kicked it from the 5 yd line, it travelled 95 yds to get into the end zone snd and it then bounced through the zone, another 10 yds.