Day 109a – Alex Dunnachie

[BigWave96744]

Alex Dunnachie
#31
Class: Freshman
Position: Punter
HT/WT: 6’3’’ / 235 lbs

2009:
Number changed from 29 to 31

Prep:

A 2008 graduate of Marcellin College in Bulleen, Victoria, Australia...participated in basketball, volleyball and Australian Rules Football...played nine years for the Banyule Bears Junior and Amateur Football Club...in 2008, named the Under-19 Best and Fairest Shooter, as well as Sharp Shooter, in the Victorian Amateur Football Association while scoring 58 goals for the Bears...runner-up for the award in 2006...a member of the Cape Paterson Surf Life-Saving Club...club champion in the Under-17 division.


Link

Personal:
Born in Euroa, Victoria, Australia...intends to major in kinesiology...has one younger brother and one older sister...parents are Gillian and Kenneth Dunnachie of Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Fun Facts:

See Related Stories:
http://hawaiiathletics.com/roster.aspx? ... h=football
http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar ... e=UHSports
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/note ... unter.html

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Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Alex Dunnachie

[BigWave96744]

If we ever Fake Punt, we can all sing, "Pass Dunnachie on the Left Hand Side"


Link

[jhb3043]

how has he looked in practice?

[bigislandkurt]

If we ever Fake Punt, we can all sing, "Pass Dunnachie on the Left Hand Side"


Link

Now That's some funnnnneeeee sheeeeeeeeey*t BW!

BIK

[warriorfan18]

I wasnt at the game last night...Does this guy have a legitimate leg? He seems like he can be a major weapon. How did he do last night?

[uhwarriors]

I wasnt at the game last night...Does this guy have a legitimate leg? He seems like he can be a major weapon. How did he do last night?

He did okay for his first game ever playing American football. He bobbled the first snap but got a 41 yard punt off. Second one was short but high - 29 yards and fair caught. Third one was a nice 36 yard kick out of bounds at the 14. He has an extremely strong leg but he doesn't kick perfect spirals a lot. When he catches it right, he can bomb it. More often now he is kicking high wobblers and some knucklers. Our returners have had a real challenge catching his punts. Some of his strengths are very good accuracy and some unusual spins. I saw him back a ball up on purpose once at practice, almost like a knock down wedge shot.

[madeinhawaii]

Wonder what he's feeling right now? He certainly contributed to last night's win. For his first ever American Football game, it must be a pretty overwhelming experience, eh mate?

[uhwarrior23]

Yup, for his first game, he played very well. He will have a great career here! Glad he's on our team!

[Johnny Smith]

I wasnt at the game last night...Does this guy have a legitimate leg? He seems like he can be a major weapon. How did he do last night?

He did okay for his first game ever playing American football. He bobbled the first snap but got a 41 yard punt off. Second one was short but high - 29 yards and fair caught. Third one was a nice 36 yard kick out of bounds at the 14. He has an extremely strong leg but he doesn't kick perfect spirals a lot. When he catches it right, he can bomb it. More often now he is kicking high wobblers and some knucklers. Our returners have had a real challenge catching his punts. Some of his strengths are very good accuracy and some unusual spins. I saw him back a ball up on purpose once at practice, almost like a knock down wedge shot.

First game nerves out of the way................... I hope he kicks the ball out of Qwest Stadium this weekend.

It's the checkside punt that I am waiting for - wait until he does that, it is awesome. It will cause havoc.

I would expect him to do that in the second half of the season when he finds his feet.

I would love McBriar or Sav Rocca to do it in the NFL.


Also known as a banana kick, the checkside punt is a kicking style used in Australian Rules and rugby league football. When kicked, it bends away from the body.

The banana kick comes off more of the inside of the boot with the ball spinning in the same direction as leg swings naturally. For the true checkside, the ball is held in the opposite direction & is kicked more off the outside of the boot with the ball spinning at an opposite direction to the swing of the leg. This enables the ball to have a greater curving effect .

[SundayJam]

I still remember Fred Von Appen's kicker...
The team sucked so badly that the newschannels would rave about his booming kicks...
Only this is...his hangtime was sh...

One thing I noticed about this last game...
Lot's of returns on punts and kickoffs...
Was this because of hangtime...or poor coverage?
(I wasn't at the game...and streaming coverage wasn't so great...)

[Johnny Smith]

First game nerves out of the way................... I hope he kicks the ball out of Qwest Stadium this weekend.

It's the checkside punt that I am waiting for - wait until he does that, it is awesome. It will cause havoc.

I would expect him to do that in the second half of the season when he finds his feet.

I would love McBriar or Sav Rocca to do it in the NFL.


Also known as a banana kick, the checkside punt is a kicking style used in Australian Rules and rugby league football. When kicked, it bends away from the body.

The banana kick comes off more of the inside of the boot with the ball spinning in the same direction as leg swings naturally. For the true checkside, the ball is held in the opposite direction & is kicked more off the outside of the boot with the ball spinning at an opposite direction to the swing of the leg. This enables the ball to have a greater curving effect .

I believe one of Alex's kick's that finished at the 2 yard was a checkside punt. History made.

[uhwarrior23]

This kid will be the best punter in the country when his career is over at UH!

[Johnny Smith]

WAC Special teams player of the week.

Well done Alex, now let's have you punting as you were when we sent you to Hawaii and you will win this award every week.

[Buger]

I agree! A big congrats to Dunnachie on being the WAC special teams player of the week and had a great first season. If you think it's hyperbole, consider that Hawaii's 2009 net punting average is the 2nd highest in the last decade behind the 2001 team which had another young Aussie who is now one of the top pro punters (Matt McBriar).

He started his first football season ever booming high punts which weren't returnable. He had a bad case of the shanks in the middle of the season and had several punts go for less than 10 yards. But then figured out what the problem was and was one of the top punters in the nation in the last few games.

[uhwarrior23]

Congrats to Alex. He'll be one of the best punters in the nation in 2010.