Ex-Geelong player Matthew Hayball has inked a deal with NFL team the New Orleans Saints, securing a spot on their roster as an undrafted free agent. Hayball, a punter who played for Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, made the leap to American football after spending two seasons with Geelong’s VFL side. Although he didn’t debut in the AFL, Hayball’s skills as a punter flourished, particularly during his time at Vanderbilt, where he set records for average punting yards and earned All-American honors.
In the 2023 season alone, he amassed 2759 yards from 58 punts, averaging an impressive 47.6 yards per kick, with his longest reaching 71 yards. Joining the Saints as one of their 15 undrafted free agent signings, Hayball becomes their second listed punter.
His move mirrors that of another former AFL player, Patrick Murtagh, who recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite narrowly missing the playoffs in 2023, the Saints are gearing up for the 2024 NFL season, scheduled to kick off in September.
