Former AFL stars Saverio Rocca and Ben Graham will go head-to-head for the honour of becoming the first Australian to play in the Super Bowl.
Rocca’s Philadelphia Eagles upset the New York Giants 23-11 on Monday morning (AEDT) to set up an NFC championship decider with Graham’s Arizona Cardinals, who beat the Carolina Panthers 33-12 a day earlier.
The Eagles and Cardinals will meet in front of a sellout crowd at Arizona’s University of Phoenix Stadium next Monday (AEDT), with the winner to progress to the Super Bowl on February 1 in Tampa Bay.
Former St Louis Cardinals defensive end Colin Scotts, the only one of the six Australians to have played in the NFL who was not a punter, said huge fame awaited the Australian on the winning team.
“Ben Graham or Sav Rocca will be absolute rock stars in the United States of America for being in the Super Bowl and being the first Australian to be in the Super Bowl,” Scotts told FoxSports.
“You can’t put words to it, it’s a religion in America, you get 300 million people watching over there … I’m just so proud to think there’s going to be an Aussie out there.”
Both Australians were on the right side of major upsets.
Rocca had four punts, averaging 42 yards, as the Eagles dethroned the reigning NFL champions, including an important punt in the final term which pinned the Giants 11 yards out.
Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb starred, running for a touchdown and throwing for another.
“Things just started to click late in the first half and in the second half we continued to roll,” McNabb said.
The Giants, despite being the No.1 seed in the NFC, lost for the fourth time in five games to end their season.
Graham had four punts, averaging 43.5 yards, in the Cardinals’ surprisingly comfortable win over Carolina, including two punts which put the Panthers inside their 20-yard line.
It was just Graham’s sixth game for Arizona, who have reached a conference championship for the first time.
After a four-year stint with the New York Jets, Graham was sacked three times this season – twice by the Jets and once by the New Orleans Saints – before joining the Cardinals last month.
In a quirk of fate, he replaced veteran punter Dirk Johnson, the same man Rocca ousted in the 2007 pre-season to win the punting berth with Philadelphia.
Rocca, 35, played 257 AFL games with Collingwood and North Melbourne from 1991 to 2006, while Graham, also 35, played 219 matches with Geelong from 1993 to 2004, captaining the club from 2000 to 2002.
In Monday’s other game, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 181 yards including a touchdown as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the San Diego Chargers 35-24.
The Steelers will host Baltimore in Monday’s AFC championship game.
Chris
Guest
This tour is not an official international tournament instead it’s a ‘friendly’ as a lead up to the European Championships in 2010 (Sweden are the current Champs, England defeated France just prior to Christmas in another friendly) The tour is a great way for the Australian team to gain some quality game time leading up to the next World Cup (Team USA made up of college and amateur footballers are the current champions here). Professionals are not allowed to participate in the World Cup so we wouldn’t have Sav if the Aussie side qualified.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
A million bucks a year for not doing too much ticks a lot of boxes! :)
Forgetmenot
Guest
So all professionals are allowed to play in these internationals.
Chris
Guest
The Australian Gridiron team “The Outback” has just announced the squad to tour the UK in July this year. The team is made up of players from Qld, NSW, Vic and WA that participated in the National Championships that were held at the Runaway Bay Super Sports Complex in April 2008 and includes NFL punter Sav Rocca! The team is scheduled to face the Great Britain Lions, Irish Allstars and the Sweden national side during the 2 week tour. If you would like more information email: outbackgridiron@gmail.com
Michael C
Guest
Forgetmenot - what it might actually assist with is a recognition of the benefit around college and even school of Grid Iron hopefuls playing a bit of footy to improve their kicking.........however............the downer there is that the 'punter' is not usually a position that carries high youthful rates of aspiration. at any rate - - in NZ, many aspiring Union players are playing Aust footy in the Union off season for the benefit of the fitness and kicking/handling skills. Presently - Nathan Chapman has his program for preparing kids to have a crack as punters - - his primary aim is to get them into the US college system.........with the recognition that a pro sports career isn't necessarily the outcome - - rather, the education is. He searches for kids who missed out in the draft or recently retired AFL players. reality is, if you like/love playing Aust Footy - - then, being a punter in Grid Iron just won't tick the boxes for 'enjoyment'. Also, the to and fro of Ben Graham this season is a prime example that you don't go over there seeking job security. Reality is - - BOTH sides achieved a fairy tale end to the season to scrape in as 11th and 12th, the was only one possible team Arizona could host and that's the Eagles. Without the Eagles fairy tale, then the Arizona fairy tale would've only left them 12th and playing away.
Forgetmenot
Guest
With Rocca now confirmed as part of the Superbowl, hopefully we will see at least one interview with this milestone in American Football. and hopefully they will screen some of his huge kicks in the AFL. I think his participation will do more to help gridiron growth in Australia then promote the growth of football in America though.