Brooks excited for new challenge after living out college football dream

Brooks returned to Australia midway through last season after four years enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the University of South Alabama.

Brooks took a punt on a college football scholarship and it paid dividends as he spent four years playing in front of crowds of up to 90,000 in the United States.

After completing his degree in sports management, Brooks was faced with the tough decision to continue to pursue his career as a punter, or to return home and move on to the next phase of his life.

He chose home and returned to Wagga where he snuck in seven reserve grade games with his junior club Turvey Park, where he is a former club captain.

"I finished my degree in sports management and because I was a little bit older as well, I was 30, I punted well enough but I didn't think I would have been able to get to the next level," Brooks admitted.

"I took the approach of come back here, use my sports management degree because that was more where my future was going to be rather than trying to rely on my football over there.

"I've been trying to get into some sports agent stuff here and AFL recruiting, trying to get my foot in the door there."

Brooks doesn't for a second regret his decision to head to the US.

"It was really good. We got to play some big games there and live the lifestyle of football and study," he said.

"The Americans really take it to a whole new level. It was really enjoyable while I was there.

"Our average crowd at our stadium was 21 to 22,000 and once you get to go and play some of the big schools, it was 90,000, 75,000. We played Nebraska in front of 90,000, Tennessee was 75,000. It was just a totally different experience.

"You can go to an AFL game and be watching and there be not much going on but being there, there's a whole kind of different level of pressure, the eyes are on you, especially punting, it's just one play. It's a bit like the quarterback where everyone's just watching.

"It was more adrenalin when you play because it was exciting. Because you've always wanted to play in front of big crowds like that."

Brooks was happy with his performance too.

"My average was for college all up ended up 43 (yards)," he said.

"That was a fair average anyway.

"The opportunities, you might only get one a game, or you might get six.

"My last season we did really well and had 10 wins and two losses and went and played in a bowl game down in New Orleans. That was good fun."

Brooks' now focus is on a new beginning with the Farrer League reigning premiers.

He hopes he can quickly find his feet after having played very little in recent times.

"Playing last year, I wasn't training too much, I was just going out there for a kick," Brooks said.

"I didn't get a pre-season or anything so this time around I've been to every training and I'm just trying to get really fit and I think that will put me in good stead.

"Over there, you're literally just having to kick, you're not having to run and stuff so it has been a bit to adjust but I've adjusted a lot better now that I'm doing a lot more running and pre-season work.

"I hope it comes back to me. We'll see if it does. If I'm feeling pretty fit and ready to go I'm hopeful it will."

Brooks has been impressed by his new surroundings at the Magpies.

"I went out to one of their Christmas things near the end of the year and had a little kick and I was like yeah I'd like to play here," he said.

"It was something different, I've always been at Turvey and it seemed like they were a good bunch of fellas so I thought I'd give this a crack.

"I had only played a little bit at Turvey and I wasn't training so I thought I'd commit fully to it this time to it and go from there."