University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Brett Thorson
October 04, 2023 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Long before Georgia punter Brett Thorson was booting footballs for the Bulldogs, he was a kid playing Australian rules football back home in Melbourne.
Instead of pursuing the sport Australians call "footy" — the Australian Football League (AFL) just had it's Grand Final last weekend, essentially their Super Bowl, and 100,000 people were in attendance in Melbourne — Thorson opted to work with ProKick Australia and pursue the chance to punt in the United States. It's been a good thing for Thorson and the Bulldogs.
In his first season with the Bulldogs last fall, Thorson averaged 45 yards a punt and roughly half of them were downed inside the 20-yard line. Georgia's offense last season was so dominant that Thorson only punted 36 times all season. But when it mattered most, he delivered, like his 75-yarder against Tennessee that rolled out of bounds at the 1. So far this season, Thorson has punted 16 times and averaged 44 yards per boot, with eight downed inside the 20.
During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, the 6-foot-2 and 220-pound Thorson, both mustachioed and semi-mulletted, talked about Australian rules football, what his adjustment to life in the United States has been like, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:Â
Frierson: Did you watch the AFL Grand Final the other day?
Thorson: No, I didn't. It was the night before the (Auburn) game, and I think it started at 12:30 a.m. (EST) and would have gone through until about 4. It was Collingwood (Magpies versus the Brisbane Lions), as well, who I'm not a big fan of. I didn't watch it but I know a few Collingwood fans, so I was happy for them.
Frierson: Who is your favorite team?
Thorson: I'm a Hawks man, a Hawthorn fan. After playing all those years, I kind of drifted away from it and haven't watched as much. I wouldn't change my team because I'm not going to jump ship, and Hawthorn was my team growing up, and thankfully they were pretty good when I was growing up — but they're not so good now.
Frierson: I watch a lot of Collingwood games because they're on TV a good bit, but I don't have a favorite team yet.Â
Thorson: Collingwood's kind of like the Dallas Cowboys. They have one of the biggest fan bases and they're one of the most historic and successful teams. Their fans are well known by everyone.
Frierson: And they have a big American on their team.
Thorson: They do, Mason Cox. He's quite funny — he's brought in his American personality into AFL. Initially, he obviously had to learn the game, and it was interesting watching that, and now he's a key piece for them. With his height (6-11) and his athleticism, he's pretty hard to stop for everyone playing against him.
Frierson: Is there a guy on this Georgia team that could be a good Australian rules football player?
Thorson: He's not here anymore, but I always thought Kenny McIntosh would be good. With that kind of height and agility and speed, he could be really good. Obviously, Brock Bowers is an athlete, and you could put him out on the forward line. Anyone of the bigger-bodied guys could maybe do, because you're going to take a few hits. Someone like a Marcus Rosemy(-Jacksaint) would be really handy out there. Those boys would be the boys I'd take and try to teach 'em how to tear it up.
Frierson: As we sit here, the Major League Baseball playoffs are on the TV beside us. Is baseball a sport you ever paid much attention to?
Thorson: We have cricket, so I think cricket is a perfect substitution. How much you guys watch baseball is how much we watch cricket. It seems like there's the same amount of participation and interest. It's one of those where you either love it or you hate it; you either find it really boring or you're really interested in it.
Frierson: Is Vegemite another love it or hate it thing?
Thorson: Most Australians like it, but most Americans hate it. Usually, the main issue is they do it wrong. They just kind of eat it like Nutella, putting it (on toast) with Nutella thickness. There are a couple of secrets: You've got to have good bread, a bit of butter and the right amount of Vegemite. And it is an acquired taste. As I think about it now, it is definitely an acquired taste. No one I've given it to here has been like, "Wow, that's really good."
Frierson: Is there an American thing people have introduced you to that you didn't like?
Thorson: I did Christmas with the Stocktons (backup quarterback Gunner Stockton and his family) up in Rabun County, and I tried grits for the first time. And I haven't had them since. What else? Mac and cheese is a big thing over here as a side, and that can be good and bad depending on how it's made. There are a lot of little things that people have had me try. Cornbread is another thing the boys love that I'm not too sure about.
Kamari Lassiter, me and him have a bit of joke: He puts whipped cream on ice cream, and I find that repulsive. It's like putting the same thing on each other, but he does that and he loves it, and I've seen more guys do it.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
