Aussie young gun Jeremy Crawshaw selected by Denver Broncos in NFL draft just days after wedding
Jeremy Crawshaw is set to join the ranks of Australian punters in the NFL after being drafted by the Denver Broncos.
The 23-year-old from Emu Plains in Sydney's west was the first punter taken in the draft, going in the sixth round with pick No.216.
His selection capped off a whirlwind week after marrying partner Elle just days earlier, four weeks after he popped the question on the beach.
'Best friend, lover, biggest supporter... and now fiancée,' he wrote after the engagement.
Crawshaw, the latest ProKick Australia product to make it to the NFL, was widely considered the best punter on offer following his five seasons with the University of Florida.
He averaged 45.8 yards for the Gators in 2024, with 25 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. In the 2023 season, he set the single-season Gators record for punt average at 48.9 yards.
Crawshaw is set to compete with veteran Matt Haack, who signed a one-year, $US1.255 million contract in March, for the Broncos' starting job.
He is poised to join fellow Australian punters Tory Taylor (Chicago), Mitch Wishnowsky (San Francisco), Michael Dickson (Seattle) and Cameron Johnston (Pittsburgh) in the NFL.
'Crawshaw will likely move in and become an immediate NFL starter with the potential to become a genuine field-position weapon,' reads Craswhaw's pre-draft scouting report.
'The ability to execute multiple punt styles — from traditional bombs to rugby-style rollers — gives coordinators a versatile weapon for any situation.
'With his proven track record in high-pressure SEC environments and continued development throughout his college career, Crawshaw has positioned himself as the top punter in this draft class.
'His ceiling suggests a decade-plus career as a reliable NFL punter with Pro Bowl potential.'
Crawshaw was the sixth player drafted by Denver, joining first-round defensive back Jahdae Barron, second-round running back RJ Harvey, third-round wide receiver Pat Bryant and defensive end Sai'Vion Jones, and fourth-round linebacker Que Robinson.
Other Australian punters in the mix alongside Crawshaw were Alex Mastromanno, James Burnip and Jesse Mirco.
All four were trained at ProKick, the specialist kicking academy in Melbourne that transforms local footballers into elite punters.
Some 25 ProKick graduates are coming out of US colleges this year and many will have fingers crossed during the draft.
'It's been a big year. Hopefully someone will get drafted,' academy founder and coach Nathan Chapman told Reuters.
ProKick Australia has a high hit-rate of putting mature-age Australians into US colleges on sports scholarships, which critics have branded unfair on younger American athletes.
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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Wallabies sharpening skills ahead of Lions and Fiji
With 12 months of the Joe Schmidt reign behind them the Wallabies have launched straight into "re-sharpening the sword" for the British and Irish Lions. The Wallabies gathered in Sydney on Monday for their first training session ahead of three-Test Lions series which begins next month, and fullback Tom Wright said they hit the ground running. "This morning was less about trying to push over a fresh load of information and plays and structures onto everyone's plate, and more about a refresher, and getting everyone back into language and lingo, and then everyone just sort of hitting the ground running," the Brumbies gun said. "Last year it was a lot of trying to digest and absorb stuff but today it was just re-sharpening the sword, and it was exciting to see that translate as opposed to just picking it up fresh last year." With 37 Tests under his belt, Wright had a breakout campaign for the Wallabies on last year's spring tour, scoring a hat-trick against Wales as well as racking up major carry metres and clean breaks. But with superstar league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii able to play just about anywhere in the backline, including fullback, Wright knows there's competition for the No.15 jersey - and welcomes it. "He goes pretty well anytime he's on the field," Wright said of Suaalii, who was man of the match in his Test debut against England in November. "His talent is probably second to none in the group, and you pair that with his work ethic that he's got, it's really impressive, and he gets the most out of all of us as his teammates. "It was good to see competition for spots heat up today at training, so that's the luxury that the coaching staff have. There's going to be guys that miss out." While the touring Lions are the primary goal, the initial focus for the Australians is their Test against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6. It's the first time the teams have squared off since Fiji shocked the Wallabies at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, breaking a 69-year drought. The Fiji win helped send the Australians crashing out of the tournament at the pool stage. Wright, who was a shock omission from the World Cup by then coach Eddie Jones, said the Wallabies couldn't afford to look past the Fijians, who have included 15 northern hemisphere-based players in a threatening squad. "Obviously we get a taste of the Fijians with the Drua throughout the (Super Rugby) season so we know how lethal they'll be, with and without the ball, and then you drip in some of the guys from Europe obviously, some of the most talented players in the world. "We've got our eyes set on Newcastle and that being a really important fixture to leap-frog into what is obviously a strong Lions side in July too." The Lions have arrived in Perth ahead of their clash with the Western Force and will be licking their wounds after falling to Argentina in their warm-up Test. But Wright said both teams played "exciting footy" and the Wallabies couldn't read much into the result. "The Argentinians were really good and I wouldn't say the Lions played really poorly," the 27-year-old said. "That's a bunch of guys trying to come together for the first time really. I wouldn't read heaps into it." With 12 months of the Joe Schmidt reign behind them the Wallabies have launched straight into "re-sharpening the sword" for the British and Irish Lions. The Wallabies gathered in Sydney on Monday for their first training session ahead of three-Test Lions series which begins next month, and fullback Tom Wright said they hit the ground running. "This morning was less about trying to push over a fresh load of information and plays and structures onto everyone's plate, and more about a refresher, and getting everyone back into language and lingo, and then everyone just sort of hitting the ground running," the Brumbies gun said. "Last year it was a lot of trying to digest and absorb stuff but today it was just re-sharpening the sword, and it was exciting to see that translate as opposed to just picking it up fresh last year." With 37 Tests under his belt, Wright had a breakout campaign for the Wallabies on last year's spring tour, scoring a hat-trick against Wales as well as racking up major carry metres and clean breaks. But with superstar league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii able to play just about anywhere in the backline, including fullback, Wright knows there's competition for the No.15 jersey - and welcomes it. "He goes pretty well anytime he's on the field," Wright said of Suaalii, who was man of the match in his Test debut against England in November. "His talent is probably second to none in the group, and you pair that with his work ethic that he's got, it's really impressive, and he gets the most out of all of us as his teammates. "It was good to see competition for spots heat up today at training, so that's the luxury that the coaching staff have. There's going to be guys that miss out." While the touring Lions are the primary goal, the initial focus for the Australians is their Test against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6. It's the first time the teams have squared off since Fiji shocked the Wallabies at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, breaking a 69-year drought. The Fiji win helped send the Australians crashing out of the tournament at the pool stage. Wright, who was a shock omission from the World Cup by then coach Eddie Jones, said the Wallabies couldn't afford to look past the Fijians, who have included 15 northern hemisphere-based players in a threatening squad. "Obviously we get a taste of the Fijians with the Drua throughout the (Super Rugby) season so we know how lethal they'll be, with and without the ball, and then you drip in some of the guys from Europe obviously, some of the most talented players in the world. "We've got our eyes set on Newcastle and that being a really important fixture to leap-frog into what is obviously a strong Lions side in July too." The Lions have arrived in Perth ahead of their clash with the Western Force and will be licking their wounds after falling to Argentina in their warm-up Test. But Wright said both teams played "exciting footy" and the Wallabies couldn't read much into the result. "The Argentinians were really good and I wouldn't say the Lions played really poorly," the 27-year-old said. "That's a bunch of guys trying to come together for the first time really. I wouldn't read heaps into it." With 12 months of the Joe Schmidt reign behind them the Wallabies have launched straight into "re-sharpening the sword" for the British and Irish Lions. The Wallabies gathered in Sydney on Monday for their first training session ahead of three-Test Lions series which begins next month, and fullback Tom Wright said they hit the ground running. "This morning was less about trying to push over a fresh load of information and plays and structures onto everyone's plate, and more about a refresher, and getting everyone back into language and lingo, and then everyone just sort of hitting the ground running," the Brumbies gun said. "Last year it was a lot of trying to digest and absorb stuff but today it was just re-sharpening the sword, and it was exciting to see that translate as opposed to just picking it up fresh last year." With 37 Tests under his belt, Wright had a breakout campaign for the Wallabies on last year's spring tour, scoring a hat-trick against Wales as well as racking up major carry metres and clean breaks. But with superstar league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii able to play just about anywhere in the backline, including fullback, Wright knows there's competition for the No.15 jersey - and welcomes it. "He goes pretty well anytime he's on the field," Wright said of Suaalii, who was man of the match in his Test debut against England in November. "His talent is probably second to none in the group, and you pair that with his work ethic that he's got, it's really impressive, and he gets the most out of all of us as his teammates. "It was good to see competition for spots heat up today at training, so that's the luxury that the coaching staff have. There's going to be guys that miss out." While the touring Lions are the primary goal, the initial focus for the Australians is their Test against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6. It's the first time the teams have squared off since Fiji shocked the Wallabies at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, breaking a 69-year drought. The Fiji win helped send the Australians crashing out of the tournament at the pool stage. Wright, who was a shock omission from the World Cup by then coach Eddie Jones, said the Wallabies couldn't afford to look past the Fijians, who have included 15 northern hemisphere-based players in a threatening squad. "Obviously we get a taste of the Fijians with the Drua throughout the (Super Rugby) season so we know how lethal they'll be, with and without the ball, and then you drip in some of the guys from Europe obviously, some of the most talented players in the world. "We've got our eyes set on Newcastle and that being a really important fixture to leap-frog into what is obviously a strong Lions side in July too." The Lions have arrived in Perth ahead of their clash with the Western Force and will be licking their wounds after falling to Argentina in their warm-up Test. But Wright said both teams played "exciting footy" and the Wallabies couldn't read much into the result. "The Argentinians were really good and I wouldn't say the Lions played really poorly," the 27-year-old said. "That's a bunch of guys trying to come together for the first time really. I wouldn't read heaps into it."
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Rugby Australia warned: Release your Wallabies, or else
The British and Irish Lions have put Rugby Australia on notice, declaring the governing body will be breaking an agreement if they don't release Wallabies players to oppose them in tour games. After touching down in Perth on Sunday night, the Lions attended a Welcome to Country ceremony at Kings Park on Monday ahead of the highly-anticipated three-match Test series against Australia. The first Test will take place at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on July 19, but before that comes a concerted build-up for the tourists. More than 40,000 fans are expected to turn out to watch the Lions take on the Force at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. They will then play the Queensland Reds (July 2), the NSW Waratahs (July 5) and the ACT Brumbies (July 9) before facing a combined Australia and New Zealand outfit in Adelaide on July 12. The Force will unleash Wallabies squad members Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White against the Lions on Saturday. But complicating matters is the fact the Wallabies take on Fiji on July 6, meaning other Force squad members like Carlo Tizzano, Harry Potter, Jeremy Williams and Ben Donaldson are in camp with the Wallabies and will miss out on the first tour match against the Lions. Australian coach Joe Schmidt was initially keen to protect most of his squad from the tour games, but has since softened his stance somewhat. The Lions want Rugby Australia to make as many Wallabies players as possible available for the tour matches. "The agreement is very clear. It says that Test players have to be released to play in the fixtures leading into that Test series, and so that's our expectation," Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said on Monday. "I think it's really important that these games are competitive. "And it's not just from a performance standpoint. The players do want to test themselves, and they do want to build towards the Test series. "It's also right for the fans and for the broadcasters and the partners and so forth, who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public here in Australia, "We'll play the game at the weekend, and we'll carry on having discussions with Rugby Australia, with (RA chief executive) Phil Waugh and the rest of the executive team." The Lions are licking their wounds following a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week. Though stung by the defeat, it opened the conversation of whether Argentina or even France deserved to be included on the current rotation of Lions tours. Currently, the Lions only tour every four years, alternating between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. "We remain open to having discussions about what the future for the Lions may hold, but those conversations are for another time," Calveley said. "You can certainly understand why people will get excited about that sort of a concept (a series in France). "What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summer time as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people ... and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour. "We haven't made any decisions to go in that direction yet." The British and Irish Lions have put Rugby Australia on notice, declaring the governing body will be breaking an agreement if they don't release Wallabies players to oppose them in tour games. After touching down in Perth on Sunday night, the Lions attended a Welcome to Country ceremony at Kings Park on Monday ahead of the highly-anticipated three-match Test series against Australia. The first Test will take place at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on July 19, but before that comes a concerted build-up for the tourists. More than 40,000 fans are expected to turn out to watch the Lions take on the Force at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. They will then play the Queensland Reds (July 2), the NSW Waratahs (July 5) and the ACT Brumbies (July 9) before facing a combined Australia and New Zealand outfit in Adelaide on July 12. The Force will unleash Wallabies squad members Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White against the Lions on Saturday. But complicating matters is the fact the Wallabies take on Fiji on July 6, meaning other Force squad members like Carlo Tizzano, Harry Potter, Jeremy Williams and Ben Donaldson are in camp with the Wallabies and will miss out on the first tour match against the Lions. Australian coach Joe Schmidt was initially keen to protect most of his squad from the tour games, but has since softened his stance somewhat. The Lions want Rugby Australia to make as many Wallabies players as possible available for the tour matches. "The agreement is very clear. It says that Test players have to be released to play in the fixtures leading into that Test series, and so that's our expectation," Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said on Monday. "I think it's really important that these games are competitive. "And it's not just from a performance standpoint. The players do want to test themselves, and they do want to build towards the Test series. "It's also right for the fans and for the broadcasters and the partners and so forth, who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public here in Australia, "We'll play the game at the weekend, and we'll carry on having discussions with Rugby Australia, with (RA chief executive) Phil Waugh and the rest of the executive team." The Lions are licking their wounds following a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week. Though stung by the defeat, it opened the conversation of whether Argentina or even France deserved to be included on the current rotation of Lions tours. Currently, the Lions only tour every four years, alternating between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. "We remain open to having discussions about what the future for the Lions may hold, but those conversations are for another time," Calveley said. "You can certainly understand why people will get excited about that sort of a concept (a series in France). "What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summer time as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people ... and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour. "We haven't made any decisions to go in that direction yet." The British and Irish Lions have put Rugby Australia on notice, declaring the governing body will be breaking an agreement if they don't release Wallabies players to oppose them in tour games. After touching down in Perth on Sunday night, the Lions attended a Welcome to Country ceremony at Kings Park on Monday ahead of the highly-anticipated three-match Test series against Australia. The first Test will take place at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on July 19, but before that comes a concerted build-up for the tourists. More than 40,000 fans are expected to turn out to watch the Lions take on the Force at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. They will then play the Queensland Reds (July 2), the NSW Waratahs (July 5) and the ACT Brumbies (July 9) before facing a combined Australia and New Zealand outfit in Adelaide on July 12. The Force will unleash Wallabies squad members Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White against the Lions on Saturday. But complicating matters is the fact the Wallabies take on Fiji on July 6, meaning other Force squad members like Carlo Tizzano, Harry Potter, Jeremy Williams and Ben Donaldson are in camp with the Wallabies and will miss out on the first tour match against the Lions. Australian coach Joe Schmidt was initially keen to protect most of his squad from the tour games, but has since softened his stance somewhat. The Lions want Rugby Australia to make as many Wallabies players as possible available for the tour matches. "The agreement is very clear. It says that Test players have to be released to play in the fixtures leading into that Test series, and so that's our expectation," Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said on Monday. "I think it's really important that these games are competitive. "And it's not just from a performance standpoint. The players do want to test themselves, and they do want to build towards the Test series. "It's also right for the fans and for the broadcasters and the partners and so forth, who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public here in Australia, "We'll play the game at the weekend, and we'll carry on having discussions with Rugby Australia, with (RA chief executive) Phil Waugh and the rest of the executive team." The Lions are licking their wounds following a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week. Though stung by the defeat, it opened the conversation of whether Argentina or even France deserved to be included on the current rotation of Lions tours. Currently, the Lions only tour every four years, alternating between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. "We remain open to having discussions about what the future for the Lions may hold, but those conversations are for another time," Calveley said. "You can certainly understand why people will get excited about that sort of a concept (a series in France). "What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summer time as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people ... and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour. "We haven't made any decisions to go in that direction yet."
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Bad news for Saints, All-Australian Dog sidelined
St Kilda's Max King has needed more knee surgery, confirming he won't play any AFL this season. The key forward's inability to recover from his pre-season injury has been a disaster for the Saints, who are in the bottom four after Saturday night's fighting loss to Collingwood. Also on Monday, Saints young gun Mattaes Phillipou reportedly is out for several weeks. He was distraught after aggravating a lower-leg injury only minutes before of the start of the Collingwood game and was a late withdrawal. And the Western Bulldogs have lost All-Australian Adam Treloar for six weeks with another calf muscle injury. Treloar was hurt in the first half of Sunday's win over Richmond and coach Luke Beveridge said there was "significant concern" about the midfielder's latest setback. King has not played since round 17 last year, but the Saints had been hopeful he would return before the end of this season. He has already needed two operations on his right knee because of the initial injury during a February practice match. The Saints re-signed King to a six-year deal last season, taking him to 2032. In a statement, the club said Monday's surgery was on damage to the medial aspect of the knee, which had caused "occasional but persistent" pain. The Saints are also adamant they have been baffled by King's ongoing problems. "Max's case has not been simple nor linear, and we've attempted to adequately keep our members and fans up to date while maintaining Max's privacy," said Saints football boss Dave Misson. "We have also been dealing with a medical situation that has often confounded the many medical experts we have consulted."About 10 days ago, as Max was closing in on a return to football, he felt a clunking in his knee - the same knee that has been causing him trouble throughout this season."This was as surprising as it was frustrating, as all indications were that Max's most recent arthroscope had addressed this issue." That meant more consultations and scans, leading to Monday's surgery. "We feel the cause of Max's issue has been pinpointed and that damage to the medial aspect of his knee, in certain situations, was impeding his movement and causing pain," Misson said. "The operation aimed to address and repair this issue. It will see Max off-legs for several months, however, will allow him to be ready for the commencement of pre-season." Meanwhile, the AFL website reported Phillipou would be out for several weeks after his plantaris tendon injury flared again before Saturday night's match. Phillipou was a late scratching when he felt sharp pain in his calf while warming up. Injuries have restricted him to only four games this season. Treloar has only played four games in 2025 after last year's All-Australian honours. The Bulldogs confirmed he has a moderate-grade calf strain and ruled him out for six weeks. St Kilda's Max King has needed more knee surgery, confirming he won't play any AFL this season. The key forward's inability to recover from his pre-season injury has been a disaster for the Saints, who are in the bottom four after Saturday night's fighting loss to Collingwood. Also on Monday, Saints young gun Mattaes Phillipou reportedly is out for several weeks. He was distraught after aggravating a lower-leg injury only minutes before of the start of the Collingwood game and was a late withdrawal. And the Western Bulldogs have lost All-Australian Adam Treloar for six weeks with another calf muscle injury. Treloar was hurt in the first half of Sunday's win over Richmond and coach Luke Beveridge said there was "significant concern" about the midfielder's latest setback. King has not played since round 17 last year, but the Saints had been hopeful he would return before the end of this season. He has already needed two operations on his right knee because of the initial injury during a February practice match. The Saints re-signed King to a six-year deal last season, taking him to 2032. In a statement, the club said Monday's surgery was on damage to the medial aspect of the knee, which had caused "occasional but persistent" pain. The Saints are also adamant they have been baffled by King's ongoing problems. "Max's case has not been simple nor linear, and we've attempted to adequately keep our members and fans up to date while maintaining Max's privacy," said Saints football boss Dave Misson. "We have also been dealing with a medical situation that has often confounded the many medical experts we have consulted."About 10 days ago, as Max was closing in on a return to football, he felt a clunking in his knee - the same knee that has been causing him trouble throughout this season."This was as surprising as it was frustrating, as all indications were that Max's most recent arthroscope had addressed this issue." That meant more consultations and scans, leading to Monday's surgery. "We feel the cause of Max's issue has been pinpointed and that damage to the medial aspect of his knee, in certain situations, was impeding his movement and causing pain," Misson said. "The operation aimed to address and repair this issue. It will see Max off-legs for several months, however, will allow him to be ready for the commencement of pre-season." Meanwhile, the AFL website reported Phillipou would be out for several weeks after his plantaris tendon injury flared again before Saturday night's match. Phillipou was a late scratching when he felt sharp pain in his calf while warming up. Injuries have restricted him to only four games this season. Treloar has only played four games in 2025 after last year's All-Australian honours. The Bulldogs confirmed he has a moderate-grade calf strain and ruled him out for six weeks. St Kilda's Max King has needed more knee surgery, confirming he won't play any AFL this season. The key forward's inability to recover from his pre-season injury has been a disaster for the Saints, who are in the bottom four after Saturday night's fighting loss to Collingwood. Also on Monday, Saints young gun Mattaes Phillipou reportedly is out for several weeks. He was distraught after aggravating a lower-leg injury only minutes before of the start of the Collingwood game and was a late withdrawal. And the Western Bulldogs have lost All-Australian Adam Treloar for six weeks with another calf muscle injury. Treloar was hurt in the first half of Sunday's win over Richmond and coach Luke Beveridge said there was "significant concern" about the midfielder's latest setback. King has not played since round 17 last year, but the Saints had been hopeful he would return before the end of this season. He has already needed two operations on his right knee because of the initial injury during a February practice match. The Saints re-signed King to a six-year deal last season, taking him to 2032. In a statement, the club said Monday's surgery was on damage to the medial aspect of the knee, which had caused "occasional but persistent" pain. The Saints are also adamant they have been baffled by King's ongoing problems. "Max's case has not been simple nor linear, and we've attempted to adequately keep our members and fans up to date while maintaining Max's privacy," said Saints football boss Dave Misson. "We have also been dealing with a medical situation that has often confounded the many medical experts we have consulted."About 10 days ago, as Max was closing in on a return to football, he felt a clunking in his knee - the same knee that has been causing him trouble throughout this season."This was as surprising as it was frustrating, as all indications were that Max's most recent arthroscope had addressed this issue." That meant more consultations and scans, leading to Monday's surgery. "We feel the cause of Max's issue has been pinpointed and that damage to the medial aspect of his knee, in certain situations, was impeding his movement and causing pain," Misson said. "The operation aimed to address and repair this issue. It will see Max off-legs for several months, however, will allow him to be ready for the commencement of pre-season." Meanwhile, the AFL website reported Phillipou would be out for several weeks after his plantaris tendon injury flared again before Saturday night's match. Phillipou was a late scratching when he felt sharp pain in his calf while warming up. Injuries have restricted him to only four games this season. Treloar has only played four games in 2025 after last year's All-Australian honours. The Bulldogs confirmed he has a moderate-grade calf strain and ruled him out for six weeks.
