Brown aims to get a kick out of Tigers reserves
29 May 2007 Herald-Sun
Mike Sheahan
NATHAN Brown will start his comeback on Saturday with Coburg's reserves team, Mike Sheahan writes.
The Richmond star will play a maximum of 40 minutes in his first game of the season.
Richmond coach Terry Wallace said last night Brown would play in the reserves at Preston rather than travel to Bendigo to play at senior level on Sunday.
"It really didn't matter to us what level he played at," Wallace said.
"It's just a matter of getting some match time into him."
Wallace said Brown would play the first 10 minutes, rest the next 10 and return for the last 10 of the quarter, then follow the same routine in the second term before retiring for the afternoon.
If he is ready to play at AFL level after two games with Coburg, he will return for the Friday night Round 12 clash with Melbourne.
Ironically, it was the corresponding fixture in 2005 when Brown was cut down at the height of his brilliance, his leg broken in a collision with Matthew Whelan.
He had kicked 34 goals in 10 games; the Tigers were 7-3 and fourth on the ladder.
Brown, 29, said last night he hoped to play 10-11 games for Richmond this year.
"Terry wants the club to have a big second half of the year with myself and Troy Simmonds back in the side fully fit, Kent Kingsley and Will Thursfield back," he said.
"We need to make an imprint on the season in the second half.
"Our young kids are going to be good, but you do need your better players out there playing well for the young kids to stand up and play the sort of footy you want them to play."
Brown said he had struggled with the disappointment and pain of the past three months.
His season was delayed after a scan on the eve of Round 1 revealed a hot spot only 5cm below the break that derailed his career.
"Two weeks before the season started, we beat Collingwood up in Mildura and I kicked four or five. Everything was going fine and then it all went backwards," Brown said.
"That was 12 weeks ago now; Friday was the first time I've trained with the boys since. I've been up and down; good days and bad days. I'm starting to feel a bit better now, but I guess you just get to the point where you just get sick of the pain."
Brown has been having acupuncture after every main training session for the past five weeks.
"I've had a good couple of weeks where it has been pain-free. I feel very confident once I get over this hurdle I'm going to have some good years ahead of me," he said.
He admitted he felt "a little bit cheated".
"It was an unfortunate accident . . . that's football," he said.
He said he had no problem playing in the VFL, even at reserves level.
"Everyone's done it. Nathan Buckley played in the twos last year (at Williamstown). If Nathan Buckley plays in the twos, I don't see why I wouldn't," Brown said.
"It's just getting some miles in my legs in a game where the impact isn't quite as hard as it is as at AFL.
"I'll just get out there and get a few kicks and say to Terry at some point, 'Is that enough?'
"We're 0-9, but I don't think the ladder position really indicates the football we've been playing.
"When you're in a winning position six or seven times against good sides and you throw it away, there's certainly something to work with. That can be turned around a lot quicker than people think."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21810666%255E19742,00.html
