Brown after medal Young guns shooting for Coleman glory
Scott’s a chip off old block for Crocs
A DRAFT steal and late bloomer could snap an AFL Coleman medal stranglehold.
North Melbourne’s Ben Brown and West Coast’s Jack Darling are laying claims to prise Lance Franklin and Josh Kennedy’s grip from the medal.
Sydney’s Franklin and West Coast’s Kennedy have shared the past four medals for the AFL’s leading goalkicker.
But after nine rounds of the new season, North Melbourne’s Brown, overlooked for three drafts, and another Eagle, Darling, are positioned to engrave a new name on the medal. Brown has booted 31.10 this season – 70.5 per cent accuracy – to enhance his status as a sharpshooter.
Of players with more than 18 goals this season only Hawthorn’s Luke Breust (23 goals, 71.9 per cent) has a better conversion rate.
Over his 86 game career, Brown has scored 185.84. And his goal average has almost doubled in the past three seasons: from 1.86 in 2016, to 3.44 this year. The Tasmanian has entered footy folklore as one of the great draft steals, taken by the Roos with pick 47 in 2013.
Brown had been overlooked at three drafts – he hurt a knee, requiring a reconstruction in his TAC Cup year; then played in his native Tasmania for Glenorchy before a wise career move.
Brown moved to Melbourne to play for the then North Melbourne-affiliated Werribee and he was selected in the next national draft, aged 20. Brown leads the race for this year’s Coleman – he’s the $2.00 bookies favourite, admittedly in Franklin’s injury-enforced absence.
Sydney megastar Franklin remains the second-favourite with bookmakers – he’s kicked 21.11 but missed three games because of a foot complaint. Brown is three goals clear of West Coast’s Darling, who is enjoying a breakout season at age 25.
Darling made his AFL debut in 2011 and has played 160 games but has rarely struck such a scoring purple patch. The Eagle has booted 28.11, with a career-best 6.2 in Sunday’s win against reigning premiers Richmond.
Darling is averaging 3.11 goals a game – also a careerhigh. THERE was a silver lining for Port Douglas’ injury concern in Round 7 as senior coach Brad Cooper was able to play reserves with his son Scott, in his first game for the club.
Scott is a talented youngster through the Crocs junior ranks and stepped up for the first time against the big boys as Port recorded a comfortable win. The young and old Coopers’ shared in the first three goals of the game finishing with five between them in the win over City Lions.
While coaching the senior game just after his playing return, Coops had three ice bags on his legs so the experience certainly took its toll on his body but would have created plenty of family memories. ■ THE great Kevin Bartlett loves AFL Cairns junior Jarrod Harbrow. The Australian football Hall of Fame member called the Gold Coast’s game against Port for radio station SEN and referred to Harbrow as the “zigzag king” for his running patterns from defence on a number of occasions. ■ PLAYING a game of footy in China is an odd experience but what happened to Harbrow in the final term during the game was even weirder.
The dashing defender went to play on from deep in defence then suddenly stopped play and showed the ball to the umpire.
Harbrow did not take his kick because the Sherrin went flat and was asking for a fresh pill. The umpire agreed and he was allowed to have a second crack it. Crazy. ■ SOUTH Cairns have certainly found a player in Steven Stow. Stow has just recently transferred from Mackay City Hawks FC in the AFL Mackay competition and has been in the Cutters best in his few games in the Far North.