Why the former Swans defender is giving up Aussie Rules for his NFL dream

Former Sydney defender Will Gould has put his Aussie Rules career on hold to pursue his dream of becoming an NFL player.

Gould, who made four senior appearances for the Swans after being selected 26th overall in the 2019 draft, last played for Glenelg in the SANFL after being delisted from the AFL last off-season.

Although he was just a month away from winning a SANFL flag with Glenelg, Gould couldn’t give up chasing his boating dream once it came after a conversation with his old friend Oscar Chapman, who now plays for Auburn ” in college football.

“It’s something I looked at and considered when I was a bit younger, but obviously AFL was always my dream so I went that route,” Gould said. SEN SA Running home.

“But now that I’m back from the system, the opportunity has just presented itself to move to Melbourne and learn the craft.

“I went to school with a guy named Oscar Chapman. He played for North Adelaide in the juniors and then followed that path. He’s heading there now to Auburn.

“I kind of told him how to do it, then I had the trial and the rest of the story.”

Having completed his trial with ProKick Australia, the 23-year-old will move to Melbourne for 12 months to learn the craft of punting.

From there, he hopes to attend college in the States and move up to become a pro in the NFL if he performs at the right level.

“I’ll move to Melbourne for 12 months and learn the trade,” Gould said.

“Then in 2026 I will be placed in college if everything goes smoothly.

“I think from there, if you’re good enough (then you can go pro). An Australian guy (Tory Taylor) has just been drafted into the team and is doing well in Chicago.

“The program is called ProKick Australia, they will train me for 12 to 14 months and then send you to college if you can do it.”

Gould plans to pursue a teaching degree if he receives a scholarship to a US college through ProKick.