2014 AFL Finals: Young guns shine under the September sun

Put a pair of oversized sun glass frames and an outrageous jacket onto Ben Brown and the young Kangaroo forward would be the spitting image of pop sensation Redfoo.

But while Brown’s appetite for the footy matches Redfoo’s enthusiasm behind the microphone, that is where the comparison ends. You see, Brown in no novelty act.

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His four goals for North Melbourne against Essendon last Saturday night prove that the youngster has what it takes to perform on football’s biggest stage. The goals he kicked were important goals too, not junk time, icing-on-the-cake type goals.

No, Brown kicked his goals when his team needed them the most. Not only did he keep North Melbourne in the game when all looked to be lost, he sparked their revival and was instrumental in hauling them across the line and into the second week of the finals.

It was a mighty effort from a player partaking in just his ninth game of senior footy and perhaps even more telling than Dermot Brereton’s five goals on debut for Hawthorn back in its 1982 semi-final against, believe it or not, North Melbourne.

On that day Brereton announced his arrival in no uncertain terms, stunning the football world with his mop of red hair and audacious playing style. While his five goals were noteworthy, and his performance set the tone for a stellar playing career, his team would have won that day regardless.

They creamed the Kangaroos by 52 points, and their star studded line-up included house hold names such as Leigh Matthews, Michael Tuck, Gary Buckenara, Gary Ayres, Peter Knights and Kelvin Moore.

With no disrespect to Brereton, Brown’s team on Saturday had nowhere near that type of depth or talent, and without the shaggy haired forward, would not have won the game.

Brown’s contribution to the team was important on two fronts.

Number one of course was his goal kicking. Not only were his goals timely, but his kicking for goal was accurate. Nothing kills a teammate’s faith in your ability quicker than wayward kicking in front of goal. That he could finish off his teammates’ hard work further up the field by kicking truly enhanced their confidence in him.

And as they say in the classics, confidence breeds success.

Brown’s kicking style may look a little ugly, but it appears to be effective. Unlike many of his contemporaries his run up to goal and his follow through all line up with the centre of the goals, leaving less room for error.

It makes a refreshing change from the modern trend of running in an arc or kicking across the body when trying to score.

Although it is a small sample at the moment, his 24 shots at goal this season are made up of 16 goals and eight behinds – a more than acceptable accuracy rating.

The second reason Brown was so important to the team on Saturday night was his infectious enthusiasm. As he stood tall and celebrated each goal, his youthful zest seemed to permeate every blue and white corner of the ground, not only lifting his team mates’ morale, but also that of the Kangaroo fans.

The noise level lifted, the Roos ran harder, Bomber heads began to drop. And Brown continued on his merry way, whipping everyone around him into a frenzy. It was heady stuff.

But Brown didn’t completely hog the limelight. Fellow greenhorn forward, Joe Daniher, was equally as impressive in his first up finals encounter despite being on the losing side. Only marginally further advanced along his career path than Brown, the latest representative of the Daniher clan kicked a career high four goals and probably could have finished the evening with six.

The lanky forward provided Essendon with its early impetus, opening the scoring for the Bombers and proving a real handful for the North defence. Later in the game he remained cool, calm and collected as he kicked an important goal from the boundary line.

Although he can get the jitters in front of goal, his performance under the increased pressure of finals football was a promising sign of things to come.

Finals football can be a great leveller. There is nowhere to hide and scrutiny is more intense than ever. Even seasoned veterans can come to grief in September. But it can also be where reputations and careers are made.

Brereton used the 1982 finals as the launching pad for his remarkable career and it is great to see the tradition continue with two more of Australian football’s freshest talents showing that they too can shine beneath the September sun.

The emergence of new talent is one of the most exciting aspects of our game.

Who will step up and make their mark during week two of the finals?