49ers’ Jarryd Hayne: One of many Australians to play in NFL

Almost

These Australians were given try-outs with NFL teams but were not able to make a regular season roster.

Jy Bond (2009)

Jy Bond has had a couple of attempts at making an NFL roster. His first trial was with the Miami Dolphins in 2009, but he was cut by June. He tried again with the New York Giants in 2010 and 2012, but was unable to make the final roster either time.

Bond played Aussie Rules Football in Australia, but never made the senior league. He also turned down a college scholarship offer for “personal reasons” years before he tried out for the NFL.

David King (2010)

After a semi-professional career as an Aussie Rules player, David King decided to try his luck with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He did not even last two months however, as his short career ended in June of 2010 — barely after he signed in April.

Alex Dunnachie (2014)

Alex Dunnachie is yet another former Aussie Rules player to punt American Football for the University of Hawaii. Though Dunnachie had a successful career for the Rainbow Warriors, he went undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft. Currently, Dunnachie is playing in the developmental 1AAA league for the SoCal Coyotes.

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