Retired Jonathan Brown #2 (1999-2014)

[Grimreepah]

Round 9 vs North Melbourne

JONATHAN Brown is back with a bang, kicking four second half goals to lead the Brisbane Lions to their first win of the season over North Melbourne at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Brown stood head and shoulders above his teammates in his first match for eight weeks since suffering multiple facial fractures in round one against Fremantle.

Link

In a scrappy, error-filled affair his four goals were the difference. It wasn't the brilliance of his effort. He will play many better games this year. It was the way his presence made his side believe again.

Brown did not take as many marks as he could have. Ones that will stick in the coming weeks bounced off his chest or slipped through his fingers. But he fought hard to be in front at every contest and was the commanding presence in the forward line the club's midfield have needed to see over the past two months. The ball goes to him every time because he works the hardest to provide an option. He draws the ball.

Link

In the end, though, this match was only ever going to be about one man. He was, predictably, the difference.

''In the second half we really lifted the pressure and the dam wall broke,'' Brown said after the match.

Damn right it did. And Brown was the chief wrecker.

[YOUTUBE]ItVvFlcNAcw&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]
Video courtesy of Ginger Greatness

Link

In a telling sign of his contribution to the Brisbane effort, Brown finished with five of his side's 10 contested marks and was the Lions' only multiple goal kicker.

 

[Lace Out]

Value for money.

 

[GingerGreatness]

I will be just happy for him to get through the game unscathed. Like his mum Mary I will be very nervous too.

Yeah, I'm not sure I'll be able to watch...probably will be through my fingers over my eyes!

Its our motherly instincts coming out ceebee..

Looked $1,000,000 out there tonight and seems to have come through unscathed.

 

[Grimreepah]

Michael Voss

Voss said it was Brown's presence rather than his four goals that helped lift his teammates after eight weeks on the sidelines.

"I talk abut it a thousand times, even if he kicked no goals tonight he'll have an impact on the players around him because he organises and his presence makes other people walk taller and you know he's going to make a contribution at the same time," Voss said.

"I'm sure he'll come away knowing he's got a lot of work to do, but in context of the fact he's missed a lot of footy I think we can say it's a good outcome."

 

[ZoBlitz]

Champion.

 

[John]

Champion.

Yep!.......

 

[Ceebee]

How important he is to our team, just gives the boys confidence

 

[Grimreepah]

King Brown's venom gives Lions much needed sting
Sean Baumgart
May 22, 2011 - 10:16AM

And he had to wait only a matter of seconds to put everyone’s minds at ease that he was the same old number 16 that Lions fans have come to love over the past decade. From the opening bounce, the ball soared down to Brown’s hunting ground across half forward.

“That was a good confidence builder to go back with the flight and be able to take that,” he said after the game.

“I suppose when the game starts for me I’d sort of forgotten about the whole thing. The only way I thought I could get back on the horse was to fly at those balls coming in.

“It’s been part of my job since I was 10 years old playing that centre-half forward position. I’ve always grown up going to as many balls as I could.”

 

[Grimreepah]

Brown pulls up well
By Michael Whiting
11:21 AM Sun 22 May, 2011

Brown admitted to being disappointed with his first-half performance and vowed to right things after the main break, which he did by booting all four of his goals.

"We had to play to the conditions more in the second half so I knew I was going to get plenty of cracks at it," he said.

"I just set myself for that big second half knowing I was going to get plenty of opportunities. I was disappointed in the first half I dropped some balls I'd normally take.

"I know it was wet but I grew up playing a lot of wet weather footy and I pride myself in these conditions so I was pretty disappointed with myself at half-time, but I managed to work my way into it.

"I still feel pretty good. I cramped up a bit late but I was pretty happy with my conditioning."

 

[Grimreepah]

Jonathan Brown the strongest pillar in AFL competition

• Andrew Hamilton
• From: The Courier-Mail
• May 23, 2011 12:00AM

JONATHAN Brown proved on Saturday night he remains the most influential player in the competition. By that I mean he influences outcomes more than any other.
The sad facts for Brisbane are with Brown they can win, without him they lose.
There are other superstars that may now have bigger reputations - but none are as important to their team.
I have always believed Brown is the best player in the comp. Unfortunately the way he has played the game has taken its toll and left him limited time to show his true value.

 

[Grimreepah]

Brisbane's Jonathan Brown showed great courage on return from facial injuries

• Margie McDonald
• From: The Australian
• May 23, 2011 12:00AM

EVEN those who aren't Jonathan Brown fans had to admire what the Brisbane forward did on Saturday night. There was the game-high four goals and 11 marks against North Melbourne as the Lions won their first game of the season.
But it was the courage that Brown showed in his first game back from horrific facial injuries eight weeks earlier that really impressed.
At times, Brown launched himself horizontally at the ball against the Kangaroos in greasy, dangerous conditions. Several times his head skimmed the Gabba grass or his chin came close to ploughing up the turf.
For a man who has nearly as much metal in the side of his face as a car door, it was heroic stuff.

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown has no fear

Greg Davis
From: Herald Sun
May 23, 2011 12:00AM

Brown said the fearless approach was part of his football DNA.

"It's been part of my role since I was 10 years old, playing that centre half-forward position," he said. "I've always gone up, just going at as many balls as I possibly could, so the thought doesn't really cross my mind.

"Sometimes it can be overrated. Even the accident when I broke my jaw, it was just a thing that happened. It wasn't a kamikaze act that went wrong ... so I didn't hold any fears."

 

[Sanchez365]

Pretty unbelievable guy. Watching the game it was extremely noticeable how he threw his body at everything. The guy is a nutter, he's imposing and I bet people literally mess their pants when they hear him running towards them.

Was disappointing that the only thing the commentators talked about in relation to him all night was how well that Kangaroos player did on him for his first game. In wet, slippery conditions he still comfortably beat him even with two on him for most of the night.

Welcome back Brownie!

 

[Tim the Toolman]

Am I incorrect or did it take less than 10 seconds for Browny to make an impact on the game on Saturday night? If it hadn't been for a silly free kick given away by Mitch Clark (I think?) he could've had a goal within the first minute too!

 

[Grimreepah]

Link to article

Belief only gets you so far

After that, Jonathan Brown takes over. The Brisbane Lions skipper lifted his side to its first win of the season on Saturday night, booting four second-half goals against North Melbourne and providing the target that Michael Voss' men had so sorely lacked in his absence. One can only imagine how the Lions might be placed had Brown's face not met Luke McPharlin's knee in the opening round.

 

[western royboy]

"More than just one man"
"He could take on any side"
"They always came for Browny 'cause fortune used to hide in the palm of his hand"

 

[Voss the boss]

Warnambool, 2000, this is the story of a man
Just a kid in from the sticks, just a kid with a plan
Brisbane took a gamble, played him in first grade
Pretty soon that young man showed them he had it made
And at the age of twenty one he had a premiership threepeat
From Adelaide to Brisbane he showed em he was elete
He hit'em hard, he kicked 'em straight

Well not quite PK - but could be adapeted to suit the great man....

 

[Tairy Greene]

He is without a doubt, the most inspirational player in the league. Was anyone else nervous when he continually launched himself at contest after contest? No concerns for himself at all.

 

[Jemima]

He is without a doubt, the most inspirational player in the league. Was anyone else nervous when he continually launched himself at contest after contest? No concerns for himself at all.

Agreed TG. And yes, I was nervous a couple of times but that courage is his stock in trade.

In other games this season we've been in position to win, but couldn't manage it. Wasn't it fantastic to see him back out there, lifting his team over the line with his uncompromising leadership and fighting, competitive spirit?

 

[Grimreepah]

Talking points

The skipper effect:

As far as the bookies were concerned, wins to both Richmond and Brisbane Lions on Saturday night were upsets. But perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised, given the impact of Lions captain Jonathan Brown's return and in-form Essendon skipper Jobe Watson's absence. Brown wasn't necessarily suited by the wet conditions at the Gabba, but still booted four goals to lead the Lions to their first victory of the season. And the Bombers clearly missed their midfield general, despite solid contributions from the likes of Mark McVeigh in close. If nothing else, Saturday night's results highlighted the importance of Brown and Watson to their respective sides – perhaps moreso as leaders than as star players.

 

[MacMum]

I missed some of the game due to falling asleep, but have seen a replay of JB taking off his shorts (oo la la) out on the ground and putting on new ones....how come?..

I was fascinated!....only JB would do such a thing for all the world to see, and not think anything of it..

 

[GingerGreatness]

At a guess, I'd say the old ones were soaked, and with the little "dry your hands shamwow KooGA do-hickey" built in to the lads' strides, he wanted a dry pair to keep his hands dry as well.

 

[Grimreepah]

Daniel Rich

It obviously it helped that we had the big fella back up forward who really led the way in that second half. He’s just an amazing player.

To kick four goals and take half a dozen contested marks in the wet on his first game back in eight weeks was just unbelievable.

Browny also proved that his facial injury won’t stop the way he plays the game. He was as courageous as ever and went head-first into every contest.

He tells me his face is 10 times stronger now than it was before the surgery, so I guess he has no problem in testing it out.

 

[Grimreepah]

Brett Burton

"You look at the courage he showed, especially in the wet conditions, and his ability to throw his body at the ball in pack situations, well, it was as good as I've seen," Burton said."You can see the guys walk taller when Brown's around, they grow a leg when he's there.
"He's just got that toughness and aura about him - similar to what Roo (Ricciuto) had.
"Roo had the ability to drag a team across the line, the follow-me kind of thing.
"Brown's got that in that he can drag blokes up to a better level.
"He can influence results as well as anyone I have seen, not only with his marking and goalkicking, but also his leadership.
"And his detail and professionalism at training is probably the best I've seen. He's exceptional."

 

[western royboy]

Brett Burton

Plenty of man love from the Bird Man for the big fella.

Probably as good a summation of most of our feelings about him.

Just on the wet weather thing - it's about 9 degrees and pouring rain in Warrnambool today. The type of conditions were faint hearts don't turn up. JB has always been an exceptional wet weather player because he just loves the contest - and because living down here he had plenty of practice at it.

 

[Snuka]

Was just going to post the same royboy. Still surprised with the whole 'not necessarily the best conditions' stuff with regards to JB. The common theory is that big forwards struggle in the wet but JB has always been great in the wet. If anything it suits him since the better positioning and strong body-on-body marking becomes more important when the clean delivery is less likely in the conditions.