Michael Dickson pictured far right with the QBE Sydney Swans Academy. Credit: News Limited.

On Monday Michael Dickson will have the opportunity to become just the second Australian to play in a Superbowl victory. After 133 games Dickson is considered the National Football League’s best punter, no doubt thanks to his kicking ability developed by an Aussie Rules background.

2005 Premiership player and former head of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy Jared Crouch reflected on coaching Dickson in a recent interview with SEN. Playing alongside the likes of Isaac Heeney and Callum Mills, Crouch said Dickson had the making of a great athlete.

Jared Crouch.

"Isaac (Heeney) was the standout and everyone was talking about him in terms of recruiting, but Michael was someone we always wanted, he was a great defender- disciplined, athletic," he told SEN'S Gerard Whatley.

Hailing from the Miranda Bombers, Dickson set his sights on a career in the AFL but after playing the 2014 NEAFL Grand Final, he was overlooked at the national and rookie draft.

"It's funny, we had Isaac, Tom Trbojevic, who’s a Manly Sea Eagles star, we had all of them in the academy at the same time and all went down different paths. 

In 2015 Dickson moved to Melbourne to pursue American Football with Prokick Australia. Four months later he was on a flight to Texas to play for college football. In 2018 he was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round and with eight seasons to his name, is the NFL’s highest paid punter.

Dickson told ABC Sport that despite the abrupt end to his AFL career, he looks back on his time with the Swans fondly.

“My journey definitely helped me in my transition to professional sports,” Dickson said. “The access we had and the knowledge we had to be a professional - that program helped immensely.”

Crouch echoed this in the recent interview adding, "Up here it's trying to help kids get a start in AFL but that professionalism that Michael spoke about, we were just trying to teach any kid.”

Superbowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will be played from 3:30pm on Sunday, February 8, local time and Monday, February 9 from 10:30am AEDT.