Aussies Abroad: Liam Hendriks’ history-making start, Nathan Walker impresses in NHL kick-off
LIAM Hendriks’ history-making start for Oakland in the MLB playoffs didn’t go as planned but there was a strong start for Nathan Walker in Washington’s NHL season-opener.
NFL
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AUSSIE pitcher Liam Hendriks’ history-making start in Oakland’s Major League Baseball playoffs sadly didn’t exactly go to plan.
The Perth product pitched the first innings in the Athletics’ American League Wild Card clash against the New York Yankees, the first Australian to ever start a playoff game.
However, Hendriks gave up a walk and a home run in his only innings of work to hand the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
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The ‘Bronx Bombers’ never looked back, taking a 7-2 win, to set up a mouth-watering AL Division Series with arch-rivals Boston Red Sox.
Hendriks was credited with the loss, the home run the first he’d allowed since June 24. He walked lead-off hitter Andrew McCutchin before Aaron Judge launched a 427-foot homer.
It had been a stunning renaissance for Hendriks, who only three months ago was pitching for his MLB life with Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville.
In his past eight trips to the mound as an opener, he hadn’t conceded a score and opponents were batting just .188.
The son of former WAFL footy star Geoff, Liam was eligible to be a father-son pick-up for the West Coast Eagles.
NHL
It was a happier day for Nathan Walker in the NHL.
The Washington Capitals winger made the most of his opportunity, netting a primary assist and finished +1 with two hits in 11 minutes of ice time.
Walker - a member of the Capitals’ Stanley Cup winning squad last year - had been battling to make the 23-man roster before injuries and suspension.
However, he earned plenty of praise as Washington stormed to a 7-0 win over Boston.
Working on the fourth line with Nick Dowd and Devante Smith-Pelly, Walker was a ball of energy at both ends of the ice, shutting down the Bruins’ defencemen while helping stifle any attacking forays.
With Jaskin in town now, Nathan Walker knows his lineup time might be limited. And so far, he's playing like a "little motherf***er" to stay in there.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) October 4, 2018
The Caps need to win the cup again so Nathan Walker can get his name on it this time
— OfficialGrittyFanAccount (Erica) (@edburn29) October 4, 2018
Nathan Walker making the most of his opportunity tonight. Forces a turnover and gets the primary assist on the Caps' 4th goal v Boston. #AussiesAbroad
— Ben Higgins (@ben_higgins84) October 4, 2018
Nathan Walker is playing out of his mind tonight. #CapsBannerNight
— Dillon Hawkins (@dillunhockens) October 4, 2018
GREAT’S PRAISE FOR AUSSIES
AUSTRALIA’S gridiron great Darren Bennett says its no surprise young guns Michael Dickson and Cam Johnston are setting the NFL alight.
The pair of rookies have done what few thought possible, make punting relevant.
Bennett, paved the way for Australians to play in the NFL, and has helped train and mentor fellow Aussies since retiring.
The former West Coast and Melbourne forward said Dickson, Johnston and Lachie Edwards were just starting to find their rhythm.
“Michael had a lot of hype at the draft and he’s living up to it … he’s becoming the full package,” Bennett told the Herald Sun from his home in Tulsa.
Not the result we wanted today but to be able to play against the coach who recruited me & said yes to me coming to America was a great experience. Good luck for the rest of the season @DB_CoachCoombs #BuckeyeNation
— Cameron Johnston (@Cam_Johnston) September 30, 2018
Seabass FOR THE WIN! #GoHawks | #SEAvsAZ pic.twitter.com/aLn5rPrJdM
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 30, 2018
“I spoke to Cam the other day and he said he was feeling really comfortable now and wanted to repay the Eagles for giving him the job.
“The hardest part for Lachie is he’s getting the balls in high pressure situations and they’re asking him to use misdirection punts — what we call circus punts — and your average can suffer as a result.”
In Seattle’s nailbiting win over Arizona, Dickson had just four punts but averaged a solid 47.5 yards with a net average (punt minus the return) of 42.5 and held the ball for Sebastian Janikowski’s matchwinning field goal.
Despite Philadelphia’s loss to Tennessee, it was a big day for Johnston with six punts at an average of 51.3 while Edwards finished with a 47.8 yard average from his six kicks — and an impressive 46-yard net average — as the New York Jets were smashed by Jacksonville.
However, it was another poor day for Pittsburgh’s Jordan Berry and Bennett believed the Steelers were running out of patience with the Essendon product.
“By his own admission, Jordan hasn’t been at his best … the microscope is on Jordan at the moment,” he said.
“People don’t realise how cut-throat the industry is over here, in the AFL if you’re out of form you can go back to the twos. There’s no twos here.
“You’re either on the team or on the street.”
Berry finished the Steelers loss to Baltimore with five punts at an average of 41.2.
Fellow Melbournian Adam Gotsis and the Denver Broncos face the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football on tomorrow morning (Tuesday AEST).
Hulking Jordan Mailata is still on Philadelphia’s reserve list.
Can we trade Leveon for Cameron Johnston, Berry blows #HereWeGo
— Anthony Ruben (@Raymirez24) October 1, 2018
NBA
BEN, DANTE WELCOME NBL CLUBS
THE NBL’s second intercontinental sojourn into the US has kicked off the NBA’s preseason, with both Ben Simmons’ Philadelphia 76ers and Dante Exum’s Utah Jazz claiming wins over Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats, respectively.
The son of former Melbourne Tigers NBL star Dave Simmons showed why he is the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year — and one of the hottest players in the league — by orchestrating United’s 104-84 demise with a near-triple double (8 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds), including an audacious off-the-backboard play that brought the fans out of their seats on Saturday.
The Sixers’ other Aussie — rookie Jonah Bolden, son of former NBL legend Bruce Bolden — made his debut, coming off the bench in the fourth quarter and draining a three-pointer with his first touch to finish with 6 points and a rebound in 12 minutes.
Simmons was excited to be back on the floor as the Sixers shook off the cobwebs in a near wire-to-wire win.
“It was a lot of fun, getting back onto the court, getting a feel for the game again, playing team basketball is what we do. We was a lot of fun,” he said.
And he has some lofty personal goals for season 2018-19: getting to the free throw line more and making an NBA All-Defensive team.
“That’s what I’m working towards and every day I’m in the gym, trying to get better it’s going to take a while to get to where I really want to be, but that’s how long greatness takes,” he said.
Without injured Aussie fan favourite Joe Ingles, Exum’s Jazz squad put an undermanned Perth Wildcats side to the sword, winning by 58 points, 130-72 on Sunday.
Exum, who had a game-high six assists, tried his best to put a positive spin on things following the game.
“Obviously we beat them by a lot, but they’re competitors and they played to the last minute of this game, so hats off to them,” Exum said after the game.
“It’s a really good experience (to play against an Australian team) and I think just (good) for the game to grow back home.”
Frankston boy Ryan Broekhoff also made his NBA debut for the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, doing what he does best in dropping a pair of three-pointers on four attempts from outside the arc as his Dallas Mavericks smacked the Beijing Ducks 116-63.
Broekhoff tickles the twine! 💦 pic.twitter.com/yhWQSvTASp
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 30, 2018
Leave Broekhoff open? What do you think is going to happen?
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) September 30, 2018
#MFFL #Mavs pic.twitter.com/LF5EvW1SxV
Pint-sized Patty Mills had four points and four assists as the San Antonio Spurs just held off the Miami Heat, 104-100 on Sunday, while big man Aron Baynes had eight points, six rebounds and three assists in Boston’s 115-112 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
*Each week, Ben Higgins and Michael Randall will look at the Aussies making waves in the big US leagues.
Originally published as Aussies Abroad: Liam Hendriks’ history-making start, Nathan Walker impresses in NHL kick-off
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