Aussies Abroad: Michael Dickson’s stunning fake punt, Cam Johnston No.1, Joe Ingles’ favourite sneaker
AUSSIE NBA three-point king Joe Ingles joked he could “average 30” in retro sneakers but “break every bone in my foot” while Philadelphia rookie Cam Johnston remains the No.1 punter in the NFL.
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MICHAEL Dickson earned a new nickname on Monday, “Big Balls”.
The Australian punting sensation produced one of the plays of the NFL weekend with a fake punt from inside his own end zone that stunned everyone, including his own Seattle coaches.
Lining up to take a punt under intense pressure from Detroit, Dickson’s 10-yard scamper with just two minutes remaining in the game sealed the Seahawks’ win.
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The Aussie can do it all! 🇦🇺@mdcksn | #SEAvsDET pic.twitter.com/YiyzxcCeed
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 28, 2018
Michael Dickson: “Yeah, I’ve got big balls. They call me Big Balls Dickson.â€
— Matt Calkins (@Matt_Calkins) October 28, 2018
“I was meant to run to the right and soak up some time (but) it was open, I thought ‘stuff it, try and get the first down,” he said after the game.
“This is probably a bad thing to say, I didn’t really know how many yards we had (to get the first down) until I got there and crossed it and said ‘All right, I’m good. I’m good’.
“A couple more yards and then I just got smoked.”
We’ll let punting legend Pat McAfee explain what Dickson did to you, in his own unique way:
MICHAEL DICKSON MAKING AUDIBLES FROM AUSTRALIA #ForTheBrand pic.twitter.com/m6df4oIT1g
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 28, 2018
Dickson is no stranger to taking big hits having grown up playing AFL and rugby in Sydney, graduating from the Sydney Swans Academy alongside the likes of Isaac Heeney before heading to the US to take up a punting scholarship at the University of Texas.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll admitted there were “a few” expletives when he saw Dickson start to run but praised the rookie’s ability to make game-changing plays.
“I thought Mike was smiling as he turned the corner and he knew he could make the first down,” he said post game.
“He knew he was going to have to take a hit … it was an incredibly beautiful play. Sometimes you have to improvise and really good players seem to do it at the right time.
“It was like he went against all tradition … but he saw a situation and he took advantage of it and I think that’s what great players do.
“That was truly a surprise.”
Before his matchwinning play, Dickson had already had a big day, punting four times for an average of 49 yards with a long kick of 60 to help flip the field for Seattle.
AUSSIE CAM STILL NO.1
Elsewhere, fellow rookie Cam Johnston remains the No.1 punter in the NFL after a strong performance in Philadelphia’s win over Jacksonville.
Johnston averaged 51 yards on his three kicks — with a long of 60 — to remain on top of the punting averages with one game to go in Week 8.
NFL Average Yards per punt leaders (after 7 weeks) 2018:
— Justin van Rossum (@JustinvanRossum) October 25, 2018
1. Cameron_Johnston #PHI 49.7
2. Dustin Colquitt #KAN 48.6
3. Drew Kaser #LAC 48.4
Andy Lee #ARI 48.4
5. Thomas Morstead #NOR 48.0
6. @Lach_Edwards49 #NYJ 47.6
Sam Koch #BAL 47.6
8. Riley Dixon #NYG 47.5 pic.twitter.com/fG8hMonFrS
Lachie Edwards had eight kicks for the second straight week as his New York Jets fell to Chicago. Edwards averaged 42 yards with a long of 55 and, with rookie quarterback Sam Darnold’s struggles, is among the league leaders in total punts.
Australia’s longest-tenured NFL export Jordan Berry had four punts, averaging 44 yards, as Pittsburgh crushed Cleveland.
NBA
AUSSIE star Ben Simmons is putting up some monster numbers. But there is one statistic that he will be wanting to rectify — and fast.
Through five games, the 22-year-old is averaging a near-triple double with 12.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists, but, per NBA.com, he is stone motherless last in the league in field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
After last night, Ben Simmons is now 23/46 (50%) on shots inside five feet for the season. That is the worst percentage in NBA. https://t.co/N9zVrzA8im
— Ben Mallis (@BenMallis) October 28, 2018
That’s right, someone so gifted at getting to and finishing at the basket has made just half of his 46 attempts at the rim.
To give you an idea, the league leader from there is enigmatic Lakers newcomer JaVale McGee at a whopping 80.5 per cent.
At times, it looks like the game is in slow motion for Simmons, but defences are continuing to dare him to shoot and collapsing on him when he goes to the rim, making it that much tougher for him to finish.
His Sixers — tipped to be among the Eastern Conference finest — are only just staying afloat early at 3-3 — as they try to integrate battling former No.1 draft pick Markelle Fultz into the offence.
Have they got better on last season? It’s only early, but that is still a question to be answered.
After appearing in the first two games of the season, Sixers rookie Jonah Bolden is yet to take the floor since.
Like Bolden in Philly, as expected, it’s been a tough initiation for Ryan Broekhoff in Dallas.
While he has shown flashes of his ability to hit the three (making one in each of the first two games of the season) he obviously hasn’t shown coach Rick Carlisle enough, because he has sat on the pine throughout each of the Mavs’ past two losses to Utah and Toronto.
Aussie legend Andrew Bogut played under Carlisle and says it can be a bit of a rollercoaster, so the 28-year-old rookie needs to stay ready.
Boston big man Aron Baynes is still stricken by the hamstring injury he suffered last week, missing the Celtics’ last three games.
THE SHOES THAT WOULD HELP JINGLES AVERAGE 30
THE NBA hasn’t always been progressive with what players can display on the floor — just ask MJ about the “uniformity of uniform rule” back in ‘86 or JR Smith about his Supreme tattoo.
But the league has loosened its restrictions on what shoes they can wear on the court.
Not that Aussie Joe Ingles cares.
“I could not care less,” Ingles told slcdunk.com
“I’m going to wear white shoes with whatever colour (Utah Jazz equipment manager Adam) Klauke gives me.
“I’m not very picky. As long as I can tie them up and they stay on my feet, I’m good.”
Ingles — currently 11th in the league with three three-point makes per game — though, would make an exception for one pair: classic Converse Chuck Taylors.
“I wish,” he said.
“I’d probably average 30 if I could play in them … and I’d break every bone in my foot.”
Aussie teammate Dante Exum — finally healthy and providing a sparkplug off the bench for the Jazz with 10 points per game — is much more excited about wearing more expressive footwear.
“We’re in a day and age where we have a platform,” Exum said.
“We can express how we feel and who we want to be as people, not just as basketball players.
“I think that’s what fans want to see.
“They don’t want to just see a guy who plays basketball every night, they want to see the real person.
“If we can express that in some way, whether through our shoes or something else, why not?”
Ingles has cooled off a little since his hot start, but still had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a 113-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks today that took the Jazz to 4-2 on the season. Exum had six points, four rebounds and three assists.
Originally published as Aussies Abroad: Michael Dickson’s stunning fake punt, Cam Johnston No.1, Joe Ingles’ favourite sneaker
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