Nathan Brown back to peak fitness
31 January 2007 Herald-Sun
Rebecca Williams
RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace has declared star forward Nathan Brown fully fit for the first time in 20 months.
Brown has completed every training session during summer, a stark contrast to last pre-season when he struggled in his recovery from a horrific broken leg.
Tiger officials are now hoping for a return to the dominating form Brown showed in early 2005 before he shattered his leg against Melbourne at Telstra Dome in Round 10.
"He is now 100 per cent fit," Wallace said. "There is no issue with that at all.
"It's just making sure his confidence and the best of his abilities come back to him."
Brown endured a frustrating return last year when his repaired leg was unable to withstand the rigours of AFL football.
He played 10 matches for the season, but was forced to rest for seven games between Rounds 3 and 11 because of lingering soreness in his leg.
Brown's injury-plagued season was finally terminated after Round 17 when he hurt his hamstring, with the club bringing forward his surgery to remove the metal rod from his leg.
But Wallace said Brown's solid work during the pre-season had him primed for the year ahead.
He expected no issues with Brown being able to play out full games.
"He is moving well, he is training well and putting in some good efforts in our footy games," Wallace said.
"But it's until you get back out there and play that you see where he has come along.
"But certainly he is so far advanced from where he was last year, he has done all the training sessions.
"Last year at this stage he was probably doing one in four (sessions), whereas now he is competing in everything.
"I think every coach and every player will tell you unless you have that full pre-season, you will usually struggle in that year.
"At least he has been able to do the full pre-season this year."
A fit Brown will add an X-factor to what looms as a threatening Tigers forward line, which will include spearhead Matthew Richardson, former Cat Kent Kingsley, small forward Kayne Pettifer and resting ruck Troy Simmonds.
Before he broke his leg in 2005, an in-form Brown had kicked 34 goals in 10 games.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21145617%255E20322,00.html
