Nathan Brown thrills to the MCG's roar
11 June 2006
Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Pierik
THE comeback officially began at 1.35pm yesterday when Nathan Brown stepped on to the MCG and completed his warm-up routine with Richmond teammates.
Much like a child taking his first tentative steps, Brown, wearing those now familiar snow-white boots, began with short kicks to skipper Kane Johnson.
They soon became long kicks, marks off a short lead and shots at goal.
Returning after an eight-week break in which he had rested his reconstructed right leg, Brown felt pre-game something was not quite right.
"I couldn't buy a goal when I was warming up today I missed just about everything," he said last night.
Unfortunately for Kangaroos fans, the silky skills and deadly eye quickly returned.
"I kicked two today, so it was exciting," he said.
Brown had been in limbo since Round 3, when the pain in his right leg was too severe to continue his comeback.
In that game, against West Coast, the slick forward played 86 minutes for only two possessions.
The Tigers then decided to put him on ice, allowing his leg more time to heal.
A recent X-ray showed his broken bone, supported by a 32cm rod, still had not healed properly, but medically there was no reason not to resume. Brown had his leg broken in Round 10 last year.
The Tigers said during the week Brown would play about 60 per cent of yesterday's match and that proved to be the case.
Brown's day began on the pine, but it was not long at the 9min24sec mark of the first quarter to be precise that the No.7 emerged to the cheers of the yellow and black faithful.
"It puts the hairs on the back of your neck up a bit when the Tiger faithful roar," Brown said. "It's nice to be liked."
Given free licence on the ball, it took three minutes to get his first touch a quick centre-bounce clearance kick on the right foot, which resulted in a goal to Troy Simmonds.
The magic was back.
"There is a lot of difference when you actually grab your first ball," Brown said.
"It was a low ball and I got in there and took it and got the kick away. It just builds your confidence."
Brown came off at the 22-minute mark, but returned for the start of the second term.
Again he was involved in a build-up that culminated in a goal, this time to Danny Meyer.
He was taken off at the 11-minute mark, but came back six minutes later, this time on a wing.
Brown, 28, has had plenty to keep himself occupied during his recovery.
Along with rest and recuperation, there have been his media gigs, an inner-city pub to help look after and a flourishing T-shirt business.
But when he led to centre half-forward at the 19-minute mark of the second term, marked strongly in front of Cameron Thurley and kicked truly from 40m, it was clear footy remains his first love.
The fist pump said it all.
"It felt good to kick that," he said.
The good times continued to flow after the main break when Brown contributed to the Tigers' opening two goals and kicked their third.
Brown spent more time on the bench in the final quarter, but finished with 14 touches, seven marks and two goals.
He was happy to be on the ground and savouring victory when the siren sounded.
"I probably would have played 55 per cent of the game," he said. "I will be looking to bump that up by 10 per cent every week."
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