MAKING HIS OWN WAY

OSCAR Brownless has heard it all before.

It comes with the territory when you carry the Brownless surname.

There are always doubters, the ones who only believe he is in the position he’s in because of his dad Billy’s achievements, that the only reason he is on the verge of being an AFL player is because of his last name.

But Oscar has always been able to shake that off, preferring to let his football do the talking.

And that won’t be changing any time soon as the clock ticks down to the AFL draft on November 22 and 23.

“It (the Brownless tag) is something that has been there my whole career. You try and ignore it, but it’s always going to be there,” Brownless said.

“Dad has been good, he has always been there supporting me and letting me know that I’m my own player.

“I want to make my own career and I pride myself on that and I’d like to think I’ve done that and that I’m able to stand out regardless of my last name.

“There’s always the remarks, but I always let my football do the talking and prove them wrong with what they’ve said.”

Brownless is likely to become Geelong’s next father- son selection at next month’s AFL draft. The Cats have made no promises and the highly-rated midfielder understands just how quickly the landscape can change.

“They’ve made it clear — and so have I — that nothing is set in stone,” Brownless said.

“Anything can happen, really.”

But would he like to be wearing blue and white hoops next year?

“I think if you ask anyone, they would love to. Geelong is a great club, everyone knows that,” Brownless said.

“To have the opportunity to play there would be amazing. But I guess we will have to wait and see on draft night.”

Brownless spent four weeks with the Cats late in the season, completing their main training sessions.

He said the experience was invaluable as he prepares for the potential of being a professional footballer in 2019.

“It was an amazing experience. Being with that standard of player, the professional -ism, and as an outsider I think you forget how much work goes into winning a game,” Brownless said.

“It’s a really well-run organisation and they have some great staff and players that lead by example.”

Pictures: MICHAEL WILLSON, PETER RISTEVSKI

GOING PLACES: Oscar Brownless performs the sprint test during the recent AFL Draft Combine at Marvel Stadium. INSET: Brownless during a training session with the Cats late last season.