Arryn Siposs on the verge of the ultimate sporting dream

Siposs eventually became the Tigers’ starting player and earned his first NFL contract in April 2020 when he was signed by the Detroit Lions. While he didn’t play a game for the Lions, he was signed by Philadelphia two years ago – and now has a chance to make history as he and Mailata become the first Australian duo to attend a Super Bowl together.

But even the most recent phase of his career was rocky. Siposs played every game for the Eagles during the 2022 season, including a wildcard playoff loss to Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played in every game again this season — through December.

Back in Week 14 of the NFL season, Siposs suffered what appeared to be a season-ending injury. But two months after his ankle injury, Siposs has fought his way back into competition.

First, he was moved from injury reserve – for injured players who are ineligible to play on the list – to a “21-day training window”. The move, hailed by Philly fans, paved the way for the Eagles to face Siposs in the Super Bowl.

And on Sunday, Siposs was added to the active squad – from which the team is chosen – meaning he is eligible to play for Monday’s game.

The former Saint, who has 99 career punts averaging 44.7 yards, got fit just in time for the biggest game of the year, where he almost certainly hit fill-in punter Brett Kern against the Chiefs will replace .

There’s more at stake for Siposs on Monday than just a chance to achieve his NFL dream. If the Eagles beat the Chiefs, Siposs will bag a reported $210,000 bonus — which would take his annual salary at Philadelphia to more than $1.4 million.

It’s a handy payday for a quick game-day appearance—players don’t spend long on the field at an NFL game. The role of a punter is to move the ball towards the opposing team’s end zone as far as possible, increasing the distance the opponents must move the ball to score a goal.

Neither Siposs nor Mailata will be the first Australians to take the field in a Super Bowl; They will bring the total to four, followed by players Ben Graham and Mitch Wishnowsky. Another Australian, Jesse Williams, won a Super Bowl ring with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 but was injured all season. And Australia’s Matt Leo is in line on Monday to win a ring. Leo is a member of the Eagles’ practice team.

Mailata and Siposs have sparked particular Australian interest in the NFL’s blockbuster game, although the competition is closely followed by many even without a local connection. According to TV Tonight, last year’s Super Bowl averaged 391,000 viewers across Seven Network’s major cities. Many others are streaming the game on their mobile devices and computers.

With a 33 percent increase in viewership from 2021, this year’s game is likely to attract more viewers.

A good excuse for 24-year-old doctor Lachlan Berry to invite his friends over to his shared apartment for chicken wings and pale ales.

“It’s always fun to share the moment with friends,” he said. “It’s a big spectacle. While I prefer AFL to NFL, I watch the Super Bowl because I know how important it is to so many people.”

The stock house agrees on which team they want to take home the title with.

“I hope Kansas wins, Eloise is an Eagles fan but Harry only supports Australian Arryn Siposs,” Berry said.

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As well as supporting back home in Australia, Siposs will have some of his near and dear ones in Arizona for the big game.

Siposs’ brother, in-laws, his wife’s sister and her boyfriend will travel to America for the game. His wife and daughter will also be there.

He also said some of his former St Kilda team-mates wished him the best of luck ahead of the Championship decision.

“I had contact from [former Saints] Tommy Lee and Sam Dunell and ‘Rooey’ [Nick Riewoldt] got in touch, which means a lot to me. Rooey is also a huge NFL fan, which is nice,” Siposs told News Corp.

A spokesman for St Kilda said Age that on Monday morning there would be no special event for current players to watch Siposs, but they could watch part of the game after practice.

with Abby Dib

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