Jonathan Brown should serve as an example to every young player in Australian sport, not just Australian Rules. This might upset some mothers, who commit their children to football for fear of little Timmy being hurt in a bruising game like one of the rugby codes or AFL, but it’s true.
I’m not for one instance arguing that every young player should blindly throw themselves into a pack with the aim or foreknowledge of getting concussed and stretchered off.
There’s no glory associated with permanent brain damage or a career-ending injury.
There is glory, however, in sacrifice for the team.
The most important element in team sports is, funnily enough, the team, despite the pay packets of some modern players or the mad scramble during trade windows in some sports. Browny epitomises this.
At no point when careening backwards for the ball against Geelong would Brown have thought “This will make headlines.” He also wouldn’t have thought, “This is going to hurt, better back out,” or, and just as importantly, “What will the players think of me doing this?”
He just did it. Why? Because he could, and the situation demanded it. His team need a player to run back with the flight, he did it because he was in a position to do so. End of story.
Acting on instinct for the good of the team is a value every young sportsman needs to be taught, whether it’s going hard at the ball in footy, bravely tearing out of your keeper’s area to get the last-second tackle even if it exposes you to failure, or even putting the ball out of bounds in lawn bowls because that’s what your captain needs.
Its selflessness that creates a great player, and that’s certainly what Brown is.
No player deserves what Brown has suffered this year, and I wish him the best – but he’ll never change, and nor should he.
Being selfless for your team in need doesn’t always manifest itself into a season-ending injury. It can be gut running or enduring absolute fatigue or cramp. But committing your body to either is vital. The two acts are exactly the same, not in severity but in mindset.
If Brown stopped his kamikaze ways, as they’ve been called in the media, it would result in him taking no pack marks, not chasing, not handballing, and taking a breather on the pine every time he was hurting.
A selfless player is just that, and all kids should learn the value of playing and committing regardless of what the result is for the individual. It’s the team, and what the team requires at that time in the game, that matters.
Swampy
Guest
Damo, Cattery - I just can't agree with you on this one. You talk rubbish (I normally share the Cattery viewpoint). What Brown did was the stuff of fools. If Brisbane were in the mix for a flag he should be condemned for such an act that could cost his team so dearly. If Chris Judd did the same in round 22 and missed the last couple of crucial ladder shaping matches and Carlton's finals campaign do you honestly think Carlton people would be patting him on the back saying 'thanks Chris for leading by example'! Because Toovey is a lessor part of the Pie machine people upheld his example as an act all should follow, in my mind because Toovey, in the eyes of Collingwood supporters, is expendable. Would they say the same if Cloke or Pendles followed suit like Brown and suffered some catastrophic injury? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Paul
Guest
That story only accentuates what I'm saying. How much of his body should a player give up for a game? Where does it all end? Do we have to have a death on the playing field before players, coaches, fans and officials realize that there is a limit? All kudos to Jonathon Brown for being willing to take damage for the team. But what is the benefit to the team and him? The Lions aren't going to play finals footy. His "courage" deprives his teammates of his play, leadership and ability to teach younger players for the rest of the season and, probably, a good portion of the off-season as well. And it is well documented that too many hits to the head are detrimental to a person's long term health. So, was it really worth it? Especially when, by simply looking behind him for a second, he could have seen how play was developing and, potentially, made a bigger contribution to the game without seriously injuring himself. I just don't see any benefit to how things have played out for either Browny or the Lions, or footy as a whole.
westie
Guest
You make some good points. Now read this article from the New York Times because is both very sad and frightening. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/sports/football/23duerson.html?pagewanted=all
Paul
Guest
Well, when your Cats go home and my Pies take another flag, without some player doing something stupid like running blind into a pack, we'll see what you say. And, yes, I know. Toovey. Who has already said he should have looked. Just one question. When will people like you finally admit their is dumb courage? After some player is killed to give you your vicarious thrills?
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Take a quick look, and you can go look for another sport to play.
Paul
Guest
So, Browny did this for the team. He's out for the rest of the season. How does that benefit the team? Especially when he could have taken a quick look to see how play was developing and avoided the hit altogether. Your argument makes absolutely no sense. There certainly is dumb courage and Browny showed exactly what it is!
oikee
Guest
No, it is why some sports are more dangerous than others. The 360 degree part of the game is why major impact accures, same as NFL, but they wear helmets. I also have this agrument with the rugby boys and scrums. Big men pushing as hard as they can against one another, something has to give, and is why you see scrums collaspe and repacked. I realise it is part of the game, but surely dumb courage is simply that, just plain dumb. Browny is not the brigthest tool in the shed, you only have to hear him talk to understand this, and after seeing the NFL players brain just today in the paper, and how he shot himself because he was going balmy, you really have to ask yourself, is the afl doing enough to help player welfare if this is shown as being courage, and not just plain stupidity. What haoppens if Browny rams his head into another player and takes him out. Anyhow, it is a afl problem, they can sort it the way they like, as for league, protection of the head and neck are now just part and parcel to our game, yes you have a few minor incidents, but most of our players have the luxury of knowing they can go into a tackle and not have to worry about having their head knocked off.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
oikee head clashes are pretty sickening to watch, no matter where they happen, but we are talking about different things. Damo's point is that Brown's act (and the many similar ones we see each and every game) epitomises the selflessness that the game demands, that you put the team completely ahead of your own interests, of your own self-preservation. If there is one quality all coaches look in their players - it's that one.
oikee
Guest
Good call, so what you are saying is once Browny makes it back, do it again. You ever watched Forrest Gump. ? Stupid is what stupid does. You can put as many spins, opinions, courage arguments as you like on this one but your not going to convince me of anything. If we go by what you are saying and every kid should do the same, then what happens, maybe helmets for impact. When 2 players clash heads in rugby league and are knocked senseless, do you hear calls of how couragous? No, you hear that this is a unfortunate incident that happens in the game but nobody likes to see it happen.