Ben Graham on Dwayne's World - Thursday 10th September

0:00Enjoy your trip to Adelaide. Book your next trip from Avalon Airport Melbourne to Ainsworld with Ainsrussel. A little bit of royalty for past New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Carvels, Detroit Lines, a little bit of time. Well, he kept them both in it fell and Aiffel teamed up to our goodies, Gowron and he's had a pretty big week. Benny Growns been good enough to wander past our way. Benny Dwayne. Good to see you here. Great to see you too. This is a real throwback for me. We've been talking about my two worlds colliding with me going to the NFL, the NFL coming to Melbourne. But this is versaclimate to the G. You remember? Yes. The versaclimate. You're last here. Yes. You spent the entire year on a knee-ray hand. I did, yes. On the versaclimate. I did, yes. So the plastic bag onto try to lose the weight.

1:01And me as a young bloke, just trying to get a bit of extra fitness used to try and match you step by step on the versaclimate. And all these years later, mate, we are now embracing what the NFL has got to offer in our great city. You went straight past me. I mean, you were a superstar. I can't believe I did. How big is this for you? Here, this is everybody knows you're here. You're going to be here from here. We're here probably an hour ago, an hour and a half ago. It's open here till about 10.30. Everybody wants a selfie. You've got this coming. You've already had a week of it. I've seen you and Cam Luke wandering around. You've already had a week. This is going to be every year now. Well, it will be. And the interesting thing is, I spent eight years over there. I just wanted people in Australia to understand the great game of the NFL and what a behemoth of an organization it is. Now that it's here and people are starting to recognize how big it is. Yeah. So, this Thursday and Melbourne Park is packed full of NFL fans. This feels like Super Bowl week, where there are jerseys from every possible team.

2:04And we're doing it right here at the official sports bar of the NFL in Australia, the sporting globe. So, if you can't make it to the G, on Friday tomorrow, get down to your local sporting globe, both here in Melbourne and around Australia, because there's great food, drink, beer, and they're cheering in the background because the sea orcs are playing the Patriots. And you wouldn't believe this, Jared. What's happened? This is going to be Jared. I'll be with you though. I'll be here. I'll be happy. Two Aussie punters. One, I'll be here. Mitch Wischnowski for the Patriots and Michael Dixon for the sea orcs. The Patriots have been winning all game. Right. Because Sam Donald has been out with injury. But it looks like they've just retaken the lead. Thanks to the reigning offensive MVP. Jackson Smith and the jig burrs taking one to the house. Raining champion. Seattle sea hog. Ties it up. 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Scores the level. Get down here at a Melbourne park. Get down to sporting globe. Your official sports bar of the NFL.

3:04It's going off here, Dwain. It should be Benny's will. Well, you can do the three hours next year. Dwain, have you got impostor syndrome? Well, talking AFL to AFL fans in the middle of this NFL world right now. Never have I felt smaller. You're going to blow up. No one else. No one in this place knows about this little Dwayne draw. This little guy that played a couple of games for the cats or AFL doesn't matter in here. This is like a unique world where if you come inside the gates of this precinct AFL does not matter. Well, it still does. Doesn't but it has to take a backseat. And it helps the fact that there are no finals. Played him Melbourne this weekend. Yes. But it's delivered the most beautiful runway for the NFL to enter this market. We'll see games year on year out for forever and a day. Different teams are always the Rams. Well, it'll be one of the four teams that have marketing rights here. So the Rams or the Seahawks or the Raiders or the Eagles. Yep.

4:04But the ownership have to decide who that second team is. But how good of the 49ers been in Melbourne taking it over. They've been here all week. They've been here all week. They're paying the town red. You can't go anywhere without seeing a 49ers jersey. Yeah. So it is brilliant. It is pretty wild. I saw a cheesehead earlier. There's so many people that have, that have, I suppose embraced it. They might nest, they might be normally Collingwood fans or Colton fans. But they have sit it up as if they haven't even heard of who the Macpies are. Well, and the funny thing is about that is this Rams 49ers rivalry. He's like Collingwood Colton. So the fact that the first divisional game has been played into the NFL. Has been played internationally between these two storied franchises. Yeah. Makes it even more historic. But it really matters because they're in the same division as the Seahawks. So they were all watching this game right now. Rooting for a Patriot, I believe it or not. So you've come here with your own film crew. What's going on there? So you've got your own film crew. You've got your own, like you've got a, you've got people working for you. So next year when I want to get to you on, do I have to talk to your people, though?

5:04So you look down the barrel of the camera there. This is your film crew. Is this going across the US? Is this your own channel now? Are you on YouTube live here? Is this going to make me famous? Well, you know, Jared Dwain. Sorry. That's how you're trying to maybe, as if it gets you possibly here. Well, I was sort of this is my own. You and Mark are like, I'm on the show. I'm on with Jared every day. I don't know. And you're calling me Jared tomorrow, aren't you? I'm calling the game with Jared. So we're treating this like it's a super bowl. And I am apologetic because you were an idol of mine growing up. I was a young boy when we used to do the versus a climber next to each other. But this is how big the game has got. Yeah. I honestly will say I'm just a humble kid from Jalong. That's got the opportunity now to help grow this fantastic game of NFL. Oh, let me protect the shield. I'm excited for all of you to be honest. I'm a new, sad, all those people that went over. And I mean, I must have been ridiculously difficult back in those days. And you've set a foundation for it to be, I'm not going to say easy,

6:06but easier for the modern generation of God to come here, go and get a college degree, be a kicker and see where it takes them. So you've opened up a massive door. Just like Darren Bennett did for me. Yeah. Because the trailblazer, Godfather, a punting. But 21 years ago to the day tomorrow, I made my debut, September 11, 2005. 21 years to the day this game will take place at the MCG. I would have never thought in my wildest dreams that 21 years ago, we would have as many punters in the NFL, many punters in college, position players like Jordan Malarter and Daniel Flaile, through the International Pathway Program. It's going to get bigger and bigger, the TV rights of through the roof. Social media helps that wasn't there in my day to help grow the game. So have a look at these people. I know. So the last question. You can come here now and you can have a look at the Lombardi Trophies, every Super Bowl ring. You can even come down to the sporting club. You've got your ring. Can I just give it a little touch for the other side? The official sports bar of the NFL. And if you can't get to the G tomorrow, you've got to find one.

7:09And you've probably got a book because they're going to be packed just so it is on Super Bowl day. So the last question. Is there a chance that in time we'll get like a wide receiver or a running back? Or would it launch Franklin or would is there anyone in our game right now that you would say could actually play one of those positions or are they not quick enough? Yeah. Dwayne. Yeah. Boys and girls around Australia can now play flag football as they're chosen sport, non-contact. Yeah. And they now have an Olympic dream. Yeah. So yes, absolutely. There can be young boys and girls that have a dream. Yeah. And if they want to extend that to the NFL, we very may well see Australian athletes playing wide receiver. Yeah. Other positions, particularly, you know, maybe a quarterback. Yeah. But there was a couple of Aussies over in college right now, lying there trade, learning how to become a quarterback. So it's skies, the limit, Jared Dwayne. Yeah. What do you... I'm just reading the text for shit. You got bored of me. No, no, I can't.

8:09Because I called you. That was an accident. No, that's all right. I'm enjoying it. It's good to have you here, to be honest. It's fun to be in the middle of this. And it is a bit wild with all the people here. I'll be let you go and do some more selfies. No, no, well, we've got a couple of things on preparing for tomorrow's broadcast. Okay. So you can do some study. Preparing interviews for the pregame. Yeah. It's going to be a great day, Dwayne. I can't wait. I'm so proud to be Australian. First Australian to play in a Super Bowl. All right. And here it is in our backyard. I'm just proud to know you and be sitting next to you whilst you've been beamed live around the world by your team. You're going to be the only one who's been joining us. Back to your calls and text next. Give it a round of applause, everybody. The one and only, Ben Griem.