Six Aussies flying the flag

1. Andrew Bogut (basketball)

Australian sports fans are no strangers to cheering one of their own in the NBA - see Luc Longley and, briefly, Andrew Gaze - but Bogut blazed a new trail when he was selected as the No.1 pick in the 2005 NBA draft. The Bogeyman, as he was styled by Nike in a prominent ad campaign, has been a fine player for the Milwaukee Bucks in his six seasons to date, winning selection in the All-NBA third team in 2010 when he led the league in blocked shots. An avid AFL fan, Bogut continues to support his beloved Essendon from afar and he continues to support Australian basketball, playing regularly for the Boomers and making an ultimately doomed bid to turn out for the Sydney Kings during the 2011 NBA lockout. Fellow Boomer Patrick Mills has also flown the Aussie flag in recent years with the Portland Trail Blazers.

2. Ben Graham (American football)

Some might argue that Graham, Geelong's captain from 2000-02, retired from AFL too early when he hung up the boots at the end of 2004. But the big man's instinct proved correct when he earned an NFL contract as a punter for the New York Jets in 2005. A successful four-season stint with the Jets followed, before he moved to the Arizona Cardinals via a brief one-game stop at the New Orleans Saints. Graham enjoyed his finest moments at the Cardinals, playing in the 2008 Super Bowl and earning selection in the 2010 Pro Bowl. He remained an active NFL player in 2011, earning a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. By turning his back on Geelong in '04, Graham extended his career - and his earning capacity - several times over.

3. Neil Robertson (snooker)

Forget owning your own home, Robertson is living the real Great Australian Dream after turning a pub pastime into a thriving career. The UK-based blond Aussie took the snooker world by storm in 2010, winning the world championship en route to claiming the No.1 ranking in September of that year. He has since continued his success, claiming several major tournaments including his latest major victory in the World Open in January. Patriotically, Robertson reveals on his personal website that he still he pines for home. He also lists flesh-eating zombies as his greatest fear.

4. Simon 'The Wizard' Whitlock (darts)

Like Robertson, Whitlock has made a very healthy career from a game usually played while getting drunk. A perennial contender at world championship level, the Cessnock native holds the dubious honour of being the only player to reach both of the sport's world championship finals without actually claiming the crown. Whitlock's ocker credentials are enhanced by a) his tremendous mullet/goatee/rat's-tail combination and b) his choice of theme music - Down Under, by Men at Work.

5. Chad Reed (motocross)

For many years, Reed has ranked alongside Greg Norman and Lleyton Hewitt as Australia's highest earning sportsman - and precious few Aussies knew who he was. However, Reed's dominance of the hugely popular motocross racing category in the US made him a household name among American motorsport fans. He was clearly the most consistent rider throughout the 2000s, winning four titles in motocross or supercross and registering several more podium finishes. Crucially, Reed has continued to support the Australian motocross scene, winning national titles in 2008-09 and encouraging high-profile rivals, including fellow world champion James Stewart Jr, to race the Australian circuit.

6. Marcos Ambrose (NASCAR)

Ambrose was the dominant driver in the domestic V8 Supercar series, winning successive titles in 2003-04 before leaving the category at the end of 2005 to try his luck in American stock car racing. He began by racing trucks in the NASCAR series in 2006 before graduating to the Nationwide Series in the more familiar stock cars in 2007. Ambrose finally claimed his first win in the second-tier Nationwide Series in 2008 at Watkins Glen, before breaking through for his maiden Sprint Cup win at the same track three years later. He racked up five top-five and a dozen top-10 finishes in his best season in 2011, auguring well for the years to come.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.