Australian Rules Football Career
| Ben Graham | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Ben Graham | ||
| Date of birth | (1973-11-02) 2 November 1973 (age 39) | ||
| Place of birth | Leopold, Victoria, Australia | ||
| Original team | Leopold / Geelong U19 | ||
| Draft | 40th overall, 1992 pre-season Geelong |
||
| Height/Weight | 196 cm / 98 kg | ||
| Position(s) | Centre half-forward / Centre half-back | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1993–2004 | Geelong | 219 (145) | |
| 1 Playing statistics to end of 2004 season . | |||
Graham was recruited by Geelong at pick 40 in the 1992 Australian Football League (AFL) pre-season draft. He was Geelong's "Best First Year Player" in the reserves team of 1992, and made his debut with the Geelong seniors late in 1993.
Graham was noted for his long kicking (in particular his expertise at the torpedo punt), and could play at both ends of the ground as a key position player. He played at centre half-forward and could convert goals from distances of 60 metres, as well as playing at centre half-back, where his booming kicks cleared the ball from defence, particularly during kickouts. Once, when Graham was bringing the ball back in from play, he booted the ball 85 metres which was right to the centre of the ground.
Graham played in Geelong's 1995 AFL Grand Final loss to Carlton. For the year, he was named most improved player at Geelong.
Graham won the club's Best and Fairest award (the Carji Greeves Medal) in 1999.
He following his 1999 season with another solid season in 2000, finishing runner up in the best & fairest in a year in which he was also bestowed the honour of the club captaincy.
In 2001 he was inducted into the Geelong Football Club Hall of Fame and granted life membership.
Graham retained the club captaincy until the end of 2002.
Read more about this topic: Ben Graham (football Player)
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