Cam Newton tries his hand at Australian Rules football

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The football instincts of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton apparently don't translate well Down Under.

Newton, 26, is in Australia as a part of Gatorade's Athlete Exchange program. He spent some time on Tuesday practicing with the Richmond Tigers of the Australian Football League.

But Newton was a bit out of his element,according to this quote on the Twitter account of Andrew McCormack of radio station SEN 1116:

Richmond defender Chris Newman apparently enjoyed Newton's struggles.

"It's great to see someone so cool struggle at a sport," Newman joked with a reporter from the Herald Sun.

As evidenced by this video, Newton can be just as wild high in throwing an Australian Rules football as he can with an NFL football:

Newton, in an interview with the Herald Sun, admitted, "I knew nothing about footy, as you guys call it."

"But no matter what sport you're playing, no matter where you're from, there's so many similarities in sports as a whole," Newton added. "We need others in football as well as playing the game of footy and as well as in life, so I'm carrying over a lot of things."

While those back home celebrated Independence Day on Saturday, Newton attended Richmond's win over Greater Western Sydney. He told the Herald Sun he couldn't believe the level of raw physicality in Australian Rules.

"In our sport, they are constantly putting things on you to protect you, but in this sport they're taking things away," he said. "I'm seeing guys get prepared and all they're wearing in essence is a tank top and a pair of boxers and going out there and giving it all they have.

"That makes them courageous."

Newton recently signed a five-year extension worth $103.8 million that locks him up through 2020. Team officials were not immediately available to comment on whether Newton's participation in Australian Football was permitted in his new deal.

Regardless, Newton has made a few new fans.

"We have a little cheeky smile when he gets a football in his hands, but he's been impressive," Newman said. "The boys have loved him, and [none] more than me."