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'The Aussie step': Football world goes nuts over AFL 'sorcery'

Riley Morgan
·Sports Reporter
·3-min read
Max Duffy (pictured left) attempting to punt the ball for Kentucky and (pictured right) faking a kick.
Max Duffy (pictured left) playing for Kentucky in College Football had the US in a spin after an 'Aussie step' (pictured right). (Images: SEC Network)

Former AFL player Max Duffy sent the US into a spin after the punter used his former trade to light up a college football game.

Duffy, 27, punting for the Kentucky Wildcats in his final game became a social media sensation after a quick AFL-like jig that had US fans in a trance.

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In the clash against North Carolina State for the Gator Bowl, the former Fremantle Dockers player was put under immediate pressure when a blocker broke free and attempted to charge him down.

But the Aussie faked a punt, before stepping and turning what was a potentially disastrous situation into a fair catch inside the 20.

The Aussie said he was frustrated with the breakdown of the play when he left the field - thinking little of his nonchalant fake-punt - only to be told by his teammates he would be on ESPN.

“We’d done a bit of homework in the week leading up on one of the guys that came after it. He blocked a fair few punts during the year. The plan was to block him. Apparently we didn’t want to do that,” Duffy told RSN Breakfast.

“I knew he was going to be coming after it pretty hard and it was just a spur of the moment (decision) to go back to the AFL days.

“When I went off to the sideline I was pretty p***ed off to be honest because we didn’t do the job that we wanted. But then I got to the sideline and all the guys were going crazy and telling me ‘You’re going to be on ESPN’ and ‘That’s definitely top 10 (on SportsCenter)’.

“I was caught off guard because I was more worried about the bad job we’d done with the punt. Since then I’ve got a fair few messages, which is funny because it’s something we seen every weekend in Australia in the AFL.”

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American, and former AFL star, Mason Cox quickly praised the Aussie for his highlight.

Duffy played three games for the Dockers between 2013-2015.

He won the GPR Analytics National Punter of the Year in 2019.

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