Graulund was a fan favourite at AGF, not only because of his goal scoring abilities but also due to his notorious fighting spirit. He was considered to be one of the best strikers in the Danish Superliga and is seventh on the list of top goalscorers all-time in the league. On 29 August 2011, he scored his 100th goal in the league in a win over AC Horsens. Graulund announced his retirement due to injuries on 12 October 2012.
Club career
Domestic success (1995–2001)
Born in Brørup,[2] Graulund played as a youth for Vejen SF and Kolding Boldklub before moving to Vejle Boldklub where he made his professional debut on 19 March 1995, aged 18, in a 1–0 win over Ikast FS.[2] Head coach Ole Fritsen had promoted him to the first team, and he helped the club reach promotion to the Danish Superliga in his first season at the club. Before that, he had been a key player on the club's youth teams.[3] In the 1996–97 season, he was part of the Vejle team that finished as runners-up in the Superliga alongside players such as Thomas Gravesen, Jesper Søgaard, Alex Nørlund and Jesper Mikkelsen.[4] During that season, Graulund made 28 league appearances in which he scored five goals.[4]
In 1998, Graulund moved to Brøndby IF, where he initially struggled. However, in the 2000–01 season, he began playing more regularly under head coach Åge Hareide and finished a great season as top goalscorer in the Superliga.
Years abroad (2001–2004)
After becoming top scorer, Graulund signed with recently promoted German Bundesliga club VfL Bochum for DM 2.8 million,[5][6] where he never got a breakthrough; after a long period as a reserve player, he was loaned out to AGF in February 2003.[7][2] There, he had great success as a goal scorer, but when AGF due to a poor financial situation could not afford buy him out of his contract in Bochum, he instead continued his career with Swedish club Helsingborgs IF,[8] where he played for two seasons.
AGF (2004–2012)
In 2006, Graulund returned to AGF, where he captained the first team until 2008.[9]Steffen Rasmussen then took over the captains armband. A few weeks later, Graulund scored the winner against former club Brøndby, which he later described as "saving my career at AGF", after the disappointment of losing his role as captain.[10]
His time at AGF was tumultuous, and the club suffered two relegations from the Superliga – in 2005–06 and 2009–10.[11][12] The team bounced back in both seasons down in the second-tier 1st Division, with Graulund finishing as top goalscorer in both seasons.
On 29 August 2011, Graulund scored his 100th goal in the Danish Superliga in a match against AC Horsens.[13][2] On 26 October 2011, he tore one of his achilles tendons, which expected to keep him sidelined for nine months. Many experts therefore did not predict Graulund a comeback, as he was already 35 years old.[14] However, Graulund returned to the pitch for AGF after only five months. In his first two matches after returning, he was substituted on with 30 minutes remaining, but managed to score in both matches, which AGF lost.[15]
On 12 October 2012, however, Graulund was forced to retire effective immediately. He could no longer keep playing after several serious injuries, including the torn achilles tendon the year before.[16] He scored his last Superliga goal when AGF beat Silkeborg 4–0 on 1 September 2012.
Graulund finished his career with 290 Danish Superliga appearance. With his 107 goals, he is number seven on the list of the top goalscorers in the league, surpassed only by Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen, Søren Frederiksen, Peter Møller, Heine Fernandez, Steffen Højer and Frank Kristensen.[17] Of all his appearances, 219 appearances and 100 goals were in the AGF jersey, 93 matches in the Vejle jersey, and 53 matches in the Brøndby jersey. He also made 45 and 21 appearances for Helsingborgs IF and VfL Bochum, respectively.
^ abDavidsen, Martin (7 December 2016). "7. december: Krølle, Gravesen og Vejles legebørn i toppen" (in Danish). Tipsbladet. Retrieved 18 September 2020. Holdet med folk som Jesper Søgaard, Peter Graulund, Alex Nørlund og Jesper Mikkelsen selv var fuld af dygtige tekniske spillere, og netop legen med bolden var kendetegnende for Vejle-holdet, mener Jesper Mikkelsen.
^Lindved Norup, Mark (14 October 2012). "Graulund: Målet der reddede min tid i AGF" (in Danish). DR. Retrieved 18 September 2020. Derfor nævner han også et mål han scorede i august 2008 mod Brøndby i en 2-1-sejr, som det der har betydet mest for ham. Ikke fordi sejren var vigtigere end så mange andre, han har sikret klubben. Men fordi den scoring forlængede hans ophold i klubben, der ellers var på vej ned ad en blindgyde. - Lige præcis det mål kom i en periode, hvor min daværende træner (Ove Pedersen, red.) havde taget anførerbindet fra mig, og der var rimelig meget ballade i og omkring klubben. - Så det mål tror jeg faktisk betød, at jeg fortsatte i AGF, for havde jeg ikke scoret der, så havde chancen for, at jeg forlod klubben i efteråret 2008, været rimelig stor, siger han til DR Sporten.
^Ritzau (10 May 2006). "Millionbeløb skal redde AGF" (in Danish). Ekstra Bladet. Retrieved 18 September 2020. Selskabet bag fodboldklubben AGF har taget konsekvensen af klubbens nedrykning 1. division. Århus Elite erkender, at AGFs nedtur koster dyrt og regner således med et underskud i 2006 på 3,7 millioner kroner.
^Bentow, David (17 May 2010). "Nedrykning til 1. division dyr for AGF-ejerne" (in Danish). Berlingske. Retrieved 18 September 2020. AGFs exit fra superligaen gør ikke kun ondt på tusinder af fodboldfans. Det gør også voldsomt ondt på aktionærerne i fodboldholdets ejer, Århus Elite A/S.
