Mason Fletcher Biography

Mason Fletcher, son of Dustin Fletcher, quits football to chase an NFL punting career in the US.

Fletcher has signed with Melbourne-based punting program Prokick Australia, headed by former Brisbane and Hawthorn player turned NFL punter Nathan Chapman.

After an injury-plagued season, Essendon father-son prospect Mason Fletcher will return to the TAC Cup in 2019 after opting not to nominate for the 2018 AFL Draft.

The son of Bombers champion Dustin, 18-year-old Mason will attempt to overcome a persistent back injury next year before considering his options in 12 months' time.

Essendon father-son prospect Mason Fletcher is expected to miss the rest of his under-18 season with lower back stress fractures.

"If it is the full year and that's going to be the final outcome of it, then he's surely done enough to show Essendon and other clubs that he's worthy of being listed," Calder Cannons talent manager Ian Kyte said.

"He's certainly got some things he needs to work on, like his body strength … this time out might enable him to do some more strength work that gets him to a position where he's better off with his body."

Mason Fletcher, son of Bombers great Dustin Fletcher, is expected to be a father-son pick by Essendon in the 2018 draft and will train with the club for the next fortnight.

"If you were to get him to shave his head, you'd mistake the two," Essendon key defender Michael Hurley said.

"Same size, same shape, same attributes – really great young kid as well – so it's really exciting to have him around for the next couple of weeks and hopefully he can develop a fair bit."