Former Geelong Captain Honored

Former Geelong captain turned NFL star Ben Graham was honored by New York’s Australian business community at the Consulate General’s office on October 11. The former Aussie Rules player and now New York Jets punter officially launched The Ben Graham Experience - a series of corporate evnts with Graham - produced by new PR company, Crocmedia.

Graham, famous for his particularly long and accurate kicking, played 219 games for Geelong until 2004. It was then that he took the biggest gamble of his career and quit Geelong, uprooted his family and traveled to the other side of the world in the hope of making it in American football. Unknown and aged 31, Graham arrived in New York chasing a dream.

The Jets, impressed by Graham’s amazing punting prowess and steely resolve to succeed, signed the Aussie as its chief punter, making him the oldest rookie ever to start a season with the NFL. He then went on to become one of the NFL’s leading punters in his first year of play, all in front of the toughest sporting crowds in the world. In 2006, Graham signed a long-term contract with the Jets and was named co-captain after just one season.

Consulate General John Olsen told Advance Members present at The Ben Graham Experience launch that Graham was one of Australia’s great sporting success stories. “It takes a certain resolve and steeliness to pack up, shift offshore and have a go at another code as you have.” Olsen told Graham. “I hope you blitz the field and work your way up the list of top punters in the NFL and develop into a household name. Hopefully your achievement will focus on Australians’ achievements in general.”

The Ben Graham Experience is pitched at Australian and American businesses which want to entertain clients or colleagues and foster team building and inspire success. It can include a lunch or dinner event featuring Graham, tickets to Jets home games at Giants Stadium, corporate hospitality at Jets home games at the VIP Tailgate Party and autographed jerseys.

The night also saw the launch of Crocmedia, a new PR and TV distribution company specifically designed to generate publicity and media coverage for Australian businesses at home and in the US. Established by two of Australia’s current leading journalists - Channel Nine AFL personality Craig Hutchison and US newspaper and radio correspondent James Swanwick - Crocmedia has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Melbourne. Crocmedia also recently successfully negotiated the airing of Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures program on American cable TV and is selling ad space during the show to Australian companies.

Those companies seeking PR or wanting to book The Ben Graham Experience for corporate events, team-building days or business forums, can click here for more information or visit www.crocmedia.com.

Article courtesy of Advance - Global Australian Professionals.  For more information on Advance  go to http://www.advance.org/en/cms/?14?

- Advance
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