Past #50: Ben Brown - Traded to Melbourne with 2020 #28 + 2021 R4 for 2020 #26 #33 + 2021 R4(Bris) - 130 gms / 287 gls - thanks Ben

[Pykie]

I don't actually care if he kicks any goals this week. He's not the be all and end all of us winning this year.

I don't care if there's s**t delivery and build up. It's irrelevant to his effort (I'm not talking about his km's run either)

I do care about whether he's up for the contest and willing to fight for front position and not get bent over easily by his direct opponent, all game long.

A lot of s**t going on the background obviously, but this is a big week for him in my eyes, he's got a bit of a bollocking from the media as well.


An alpha key forward would be amped up to his eye balls to make a statement.


If he just coasts along out there and plays for free kicks for most of the game, he's on notice imo, as someone mentioned in another thread, we are entering 2010 David Hale territory, not one of the best key forwards in the game.

 

[The Nostradamus]

^this, the goals is more the outcome

thefocus is on the process, will he crash packs, will he hold his ground, will he not get outmarked, will he take contested marks

 

[Tectonic]

May as well just start this thread at p152 every season.

Slow start > must be the diet or he's just weak > kicks a few bags > underrated, unfairly treated by umpires, gets illegally held > leading Coleman > pipped at the post by some guy getting freebies from the suns

Same posts year on year

 

[ferball]

If this qualifies as a traumatic experience, then I can see how your inherent fragility evolved.

Allegedly moving house is one of the most traumatic events people can experience. Apart from things like war and brutal violence/sexual assault.

You'll probably laugh but there may be good evolutionary biological reasons for this. (Asociated with holding territory, pack roles for primates etc etc.)

 

[ferball]

May as well just start this thread at p152 every season.

Slow start > must be the diet or he's just weak > kicks a few bags > underrated, unfairly treated by umpires, gets illegally held > leading Coleman > pipped at the post by some guy getting freebies from the suns

Same posts year on year

The more things change..

 

[the flying ham]

Hale vs Brown? I've heard it all. Absolutely shocking comparison. Slow start to the year and the pitchforks are out.

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[Uncle_Leo]

we are entering 2010 David Hale territory

In a hotly contested field, this is the worst thing I have ever read on the this forum.

 

[Tectonic]

The more things change..

He's only had 4 less shots on goal than Papley, who leads in that category, and considering the delivery he is getting I'd say his output is about as expected.

I'd like if he was as strong as Duck or McKernan but if it takes the rest of the team 5 minutes to move the ball from half back to a genuine marking attempt for the forwards does it even matter?

It takes us, on average, 7.5 possessions to get an inside 50, and it takes out opponents 6.6.

I honestly think we are just mucking about kicking every which way with not enough direct attack.

 

[Passmore]

Hale vs Brown? I've heard it all. Absolutely shocking comparison. Slow start to the year and the pitchforks are out.

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It's bizarre.

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[kaboom kid]

He's only had 4 less shots on goal than Papley, who leads in that category, and considering the delivery he is getting I'd say his output is about as expected.

I'd like if he was as strong as Duck or McKernan but if it takes the rest of the team 5 minutes to move the ball from half back to a genuine marking attempt for the forwards does it even matter?

It takes us, on average, 7.5 possessions to get an inside 50, and it takes out opponents 6.6.

I honestly think we are just mucking about kicking every which way with not enough direct attack.

Yeah, all this potting of BBB is pretty poor. People have got short memories. He's contesting well and not getting outmarked/ bringing the ball to ground. Just outnumbered every time due to slow ball movement. Will be a different player with Larkey in the side.

 

[Val Keating]

Without going into specific details, Ben Brown is a player to watch regarding these new NSW covid-19 restrictions, and willingness to travel to a hub.

He'd want to have a very ******* good reason if he didnt go. I know blokes who work in the mines do this on the regular.

 

[DesertRoo]

He'd want to have a very ******* good reason if he didnt go. I know blokes who work in the mines do this on the regular.

i believe he might be in a high risk category. Which you can’t blame him for staying away..

 

[Val Keating]

i believe he might be in a high risk category. Which you can’t blame him for staying away..

Why is he in high risk category? And if thats the case wouldnt he be better off getting out of Melbourne.

 

[DrZaius]

There are 8 year old footballers in Spain with more heart and balls than this bloke.

Let him stay home with uncle Fester and then I’ll happily take free agency compo and look to the future.

Comben or Maj will provide more of a contest anyway when things aren’t going their way.

Mate seriously. * off.

 

[DesertRoo]

Why is he in high risk category? And if thats the case wouldnt he be better off getting out of Melbourne.

He has an auto immune disease, I normally wouldn’t post but it’s in the public domain, and might give a bit more of an understanding to why some players would prefer to stay..

And at this point, it’s only a game of footy, you can’t blame players for not risking their health.

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[Val Keating]

He has an auto immune disease, I normally wouldn’t post but it’s in the public domain, and might give a bit more of an understanding to why some players would prefer to stay..

And at this point, it’s only a game of footy, you can’t blame players for not risking their health.

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Coeliac disease? Turn it up.

 

[Val Keating]

Tom Lonergan risked his life every single time he played.

 

[Kanga Glory]

The king Wayne Carey has written a feature on BBB. Anyone who can post article please

 

[DesertRoo]

Coeliac disease? Turn it up.

Although I agree with the sentiment it’s probably over diagnosed these days. Coeliac disease can be quiet severe add to that it’s hereditary, you can’t blame the guy for putting his family number one.
I would every day of the week over a game of footy.

Tom Lonergan risked his life every single time he played.

That’s his choice to make and you live and die by the sword.
But you can’t pot a family man for not living up to the same standards when it comes to kicking a ball around.

 

[Val Keating]

Although I agree with the sentiment it’s probably over diagnosed these days. Coeliac disease can be quiet severe add to that it’s hereditary, you can’t blame the guy for putting his family number one.
I would every day of the week over a game of footy.

That’s his choice to make and you live and die by the sword.
But you can’t pot a family man for not living up to the same standards when it comes to kicking a ball around.

Im not bagging him yet. I'll wait and see

 

[Asifhe Givashe]

Mate seriously. fu** off.

Don’t enjoy factual statements? Why so angry?

The draft age in football is 7, kids go there on their own at 7 to another country to follow their dreams on no money and in some cases having to learn a language.

And our gun full forward, on what, $16-$19k per week, $15k a goal won’t even go to Queensland. Most of us would happily have an apendage removed to play a game for free.

I’m not potting him, I said If he doesn’t go, we should trade him and I absolutely stand by that.

Just because you are able to remove emotion from trading, don’t get so upset about us that see the players as nothing more than occasionally useful pawns in the pursuit of number 5.

 

[muttley45]

What was Ducks advice to him via his article in the Age ?

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

What was Ducks advice to him via his article in the Age ?

I recall it being along the lines of ...grow a pair.....

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

The Carey Article today - 100% spot on from the guy would know!

The pack mark has become almost a dying art.
Yes, there's still 'contested' marking, but the two must not be confused.
Right now, the game's best forwards generally aren't getting great service because of slow ball movement and sloppy skills.
It means more often than not, they're competing against more than one defender, or being forced to use their body. Some are coping better than others.
Last week, Charlie Dixon played the type of game every key forward should aspire to.
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He attacked the footy and never ran under the ball. He was never outmarked and impacted every contest he was a part of.
It wasn't just a good game because of the six goals he kicked, but the predictability he gave his teammates. At the very least, Dixon brought the ball to ground.

Likewise, the King brothers – Max and Ben at St Kilda and Gold Coast – have shown some really good signs.
At North Melbourne, Ben Brown has often played almost a lone hand in recent years and still managed to finish high up in the Coleman Medal.

Last year, he was only pipped by Giant Jeremy Cameron when he booted nine goals in the final round against Gold Coast. In 2018 Brown was runner-up again to Jack Riewoldt with another haul of 60-plus goals.
But more recently, Brown has been struggling with body contact. It seems at the moment if he's not given the perfect delivery, then he's out of the play.

Ben Brown has been struggling against more physical opponents recently.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
If there's a one-on-one and the ball's kicked to his advantage he's hard to beat, but, on the whole, he's being outbodied by his opponents.
There have been a few games where he's looked dangerous early before being kept very quiet.

Against Hawthorn last weekend, Brown booted just the one goal from three touches after being pushed around by Ben McEvoy, who's only really a makeshift defender.
After that performance, he should expect to face a physical challenge every week, because McEvoy provided the blueprint to beat him.
We're not talking about someone who doesn't have the physical attributes to stand up to that type of defending. Brown stands at 200cm and weighs more than 100 kilos.
At his best we know how good he can be, but right now is he more of a one-trick pony?
Ben's current struggles seem more down to mental preparation and application. He must go into every game not assuming, but expecting he's going to get blocked and bumped into uncomfortable positions.

If you do that, you're ready for anything and the games become that much easier. It's a simple switch of mindset.
At the moment Brown is allowing himself to be dictated to by his opponent. If the ball's not on his terms it seems like he's almost resigned to losing the contest.
Brown might not be a naturally aggressive person or player, but he can still be the aggressor when the footy is headed in his direction.
That doesn't mean he should do anything rash or out of character, but simply initiate contact and start putting his opponents into uncomfortable positions.
In many respects, Brown should be in the prime of his career, but even at 27 he can still make that improvement.

At the other end the Kangaroos have probably the best one-on-one defender in the competition in Robbie Tarrant.
If I was Brown, I would be demanding contest after contest against Tarrant on the track. I'd be telling the coach and the sports science people 'I need this extra work'.
He doesn't have to mark everything, far from it. Provide a target, don't get beaten and bring the ball to the front. From there, anything is a bonus.
Some games you won't get the scoreboard reward, others you will.

At his best he's capable of 10 out of 10 performances, but at his worst he's a one or two. For the absolute elite players, that gap is much smaller.
Their best is still 10, but their worst is a five or six.
The intimidation factor he's facing from defenders in the modern game, compared to what full-forwards have faced in the past, is almost non-existent.
But starting against the Dogs on Saturday, it's time for Brown to put a bit of fear factor back into the opposition.

 

[Twinkletoes]

What was Ducks advice to him via his article in the Age ?

One bit that I 100% agree with is Duck’s call to have BBB competing at training, in match sim, with Taz opposed to him. May as well learn from the best KPB one v one defender in the league.