NFL royalty has arrived in Australia with Tom Brady touching down in Melbourne on Saturday, with one Aussie footy star saying his global influence was ‘up there with Jordan’
Brady is a man that needs no introduction no matter which country he sets foot in, despite playing an exclusively American sport with no international competition.
Brady finally called time on his career in 2023 and is a seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, six with the New England Patriots and once with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is a five time Super Bowl MVP.
He is in Australia or three exclusive sit-down ‘An Evening with Tom Brady’ events in Melbourne and Brisbane with the first to be held at Palladium at Crown on Saturday night.
Brady arrived wearing a sweater over a white shirt, San Francisco Giants baseball cap and dark sunglasses ahead of his speaking tour commencing on Saturday in Melbourne
Brady travelled light for the trip, with just a handful of suits and three small bags
Brady arrived with a small entourage including his trainer and security for his trip to Australia
Brady travelled direct from the United States on a private jet less than 24 hours after an event in his role as Delta Airline’s strategic advisor and a gym workout in Vegas.
While he arrived to a moderate reception in Melbourne, his speaking events are expected to be packed out with Aussie NFL fans including a host of AFL players like Collingwood stars Josh and Nick Daicos.
Former St Kilda star turned Philadelphia Eagles punter Arryn Siposs played in the 2023 Super Bowl and said that Brady’s global influence was up there NBA star Michael Jordan who led the Chicago Bulls to three titles in the 1990s.
‘The easiest way to describe him is probably the greatest of all time, to be honest,’ Siposs said.
‘The accolades that he’s got — a seven time Super Bowl champ, five time MVP, 21 seasons in the NFL – all coming from a sixth-round draft pick.
‘I would say he is almost up there with the Michael Jordan stuff – wherever he went everybody knew who he was and I would say Tom Brady is almost at that calibre.
‘If not, he’s right there and it’s fair to say he probably couldn’t go anywhere in this world without being recognised or people knowing who he is.’
Diehard fans turned out at Melbourne Airport hoping to get a glimpse of Brady and an autograph
Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, six with the New England Patriots and once with the Tampa Bay Buccaneer
The fully-booked ‘Touch Down packages,’ which featured a second-row seat, a signed jersey, and a photo opportunity with the superstar, were quickly sold at $3999 each.
For the ‘Legends’ tickets, which included a signed football and a photo, NFL enthusiasts paid $2999.
All the least expensive seats, priced starting at $99, were sold out, as were the most affordable photo opportunities, which were available at $1299.
