Ben Brown sits just two goals behind Coleman Medal leader Jack Riewoldt heading into the final home and away match of the season, but the North Melbourne key forward insists claiming top spot on the table will be the least of his concerns.
“I think it is more important that we make sure we play the right way and do what we can to carry our form into next year,” Brown said.
“It (the Coleman) won’t affect the way I play this week.
“If I was to take a mark with a minute left to go, and there was someone on in the goalsquare, I am not going to go back and have a shot at goal to try and win a Coleman.
“If there is someone on, I will give it to them. I will play the same way I always do.”
Overlooked in three National Drafts, the Tasmanian was forced to work hard in order to achieve his dream of playing AFL.
“I keep coming back to fact that six years ago, I never thought I would be playing in an AFL game, let alone playing against the best key defenders in the league,” Brown told the Herald Sun.
“If you had said I would have been in the company of Jack, Buddy and Tom, I still find that pretty amazing. Those guys have played long careers and have put it together over a number of years.
“I know I have a lot of work to do and a few more years to put some more runs on the board.”
With 58 goals to date, Brown is in contention for his maiden All-Australian selection, but understands the numbers aren’t everything.
“Look at Tom Lynch from Adelaide. He doesn’t kick a lot of goals, but he’s the link man up the field. He won’t win a Coleman, but is one of the most important forwards in the AFL,” he said.
It’s been a different challenge for the Roo this season, working alongside a new-look forward-line; a challenge he’s enjoyed.
“It’s been great that in the last part of the year, while my own form hasn’t been where I would like it to be, we’d had guys like Jack Ziebell play amazingly up forward, Jarrad Waite’s been incredible and Mason Wood has come on,” he said.