Ben Brown (footballer)
Benjamin Brown (born 20 November 1992) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for the North Melbourne Football Club.[2][3] Brown played his junior Football for the Devonport Football Club. Brown made his debut in round 14, 2014 against Melbourne. Brown kicked a goal in his first game and impressed coach Brad Scott enough to keep his spot the following week. Brown went on to be an influential player in the North Melbourne team in the latter stages of the season with strong performances in the finals series. Brown went on to become an elite forward in the competition and became well known in particular for his unique, extremely long run up for goal.
Ben Brown | |||
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Brown playing in June 2017. | |||
Personal information | |||
Full name | Ben Brown | ||
Date of birth | 20 November 1992 | ||
Place of birth | Hobart, Tasmania | ||
Original team(s) | Glenorchy Football Club (TSL) | ||
Draft | No. 47, 2013 national draft | ||
Height | 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) | ||
Weight | 101 kg (223 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Forward / ruckman[1] | ||
Club information | |||
Current club | Melbourne | ||
Number | 50 | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2014–2020 | North Melbourne | 130 (287) | |
2021– | Melbourne | 0 (0) | |
Total | 130 (287) | ||
International team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
2017 | Australia | 2 (2) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2017. | |||
Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Career
He finished the 2014 season with 18 goals, improving in 2015 with 32 and once again in 2016 when he kicked 41 for the season, allowing him to win North Melbourne's leading goal kicker award.
In 2017, Brown kicked a career best 63 goals, allowing him to win North Melbourne's leading goal kicker award for the second straight year. Brown also finished third in the 2017 Coleman Medal behind Josh Kennedy (65) and Lance Franklin (69), with his form also paving the way to a spot in the 40-man All Australian squad.
In 2018 Brown kicked 61 goals from 22 games, finishing second in the Coleman medal behind Richmond’s Jack Rielwoldt and once again gaining selection in the 40-man all Australian squad.
During round 22 of the 2019 season Ben Brown kicked a career high 10 goals in an 144 - 58 win over Port Adelaide. This was the first time in 20 years a North Melbourne player had kicked 10 goals in a game since Wayne Carey did so back in 1999. He finished the 2019 season having kicked a career best 64 goals from 22 games, finishing second in the Coleman medal for a second year running behind Greater Western Sydney's Jeremy Cameron (67) and won the North Melbourne goal kicking award for the fourth year in a row. He again gained selection in the 40 man all Australian squad for the third year in a row but was again unlucky missing out on the final 22.
During the 2017, 2018 and 2019 home and away seasons Brown finished 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the Coleman medal and kicked a combined total of 188 goals across 66 games, the most of any player in the AFL over that time period.
After a 2020 season hampered by injury in which he only played 9 games and kicked 8 goals, Brown was put up for trade by North Melbourne.[4] He eventually requested a trade to Melbourne, and was traded on the final day of the 2020 trade period.[5][6]
Personal life
Brown is the grandson of footballer and politician Jim Manson and nephew of former Collingwood player James Manson.[7]
Brown married Hester Mary Brown (née MacKinnon) on 14 October 2017, and together they have one child, Aila Ruby Brown.[8]
Statistics
- Statistics are correct to the end of the 2020 season[9]
G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
2014 | North Melbourne | 50 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 66 | 41 | 107 | 49 | 17 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 6.0 | 3.7 | 9.7 | 4.5 | 1.5 |
2015 | North Melbourne | 50 | 22 | 32 | 17 | 152 | 72 | 224 | 99 | 21 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 6.9 | 3.3 | 10.2 | 4.5 | 1.0 |
2016 | North Melbourne | 50 | 22 | 41 | 18 | 174 | 65 | 239 | 115 | 28 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 7.9 | 3.0 | 10.9 | 5.2 | 1.3 |
2017 | North Melbourne | 50 | 22 | 63 | 30 | 180 | 76 | 256 | 120 | 27 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 8.2 | 3.5 | 11.6 | 5.5 | 1.2 |
2018 | North Melbourne | 50 | 22 | 61 | 24 | 186 | 60 | 246 | 100 | 24 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 8.5 | 2.7 | 11.2 | 4.5 | 1.1 |
2019 | North Melbourne | 50 | 22 | 64 | 34 | 187 | 57 | 244 | 108 | 25 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 8.5 | 2.6 | 11.1 | 4.9 | 0.3 |
2020[lower-alpha 1] | North Melbourne | 50 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 49 | 13 | 62 | 31 | 6 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 5.4 | 1.4 | 6.9 | 3.4 | 0.7 |
Career | 130 | 287 | 140 | 994 | 384 | 1378 | 622 | 148 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 7.6 | 3.0 | 10.6 | 4.8 | 1.1 |
Notes
- The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
- "Ben Brown". North Melbourne Football Club. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- "North Melbourne gives Werribee's Ben Brown the ultimate birthday present". Herald Sun. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- "AFL draftee Ben Brown is ready to grab his chance with North Melbourne". Mercury. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- "Bye-bye, Ben? Big forward on trade table as Kanga clear-out rolls on". AFL Media. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- "Make me a Dee: Big Ben says it's time for a trade". AFL Media. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- "North to Melbourne: Big Ben now a Demon". AFL Media. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- Ben Brown is North Melbourne's man of the moment and a heart-warming story
- https://www.themercury.com.au/lifestyle/tassies-star-roo-ben-brown-scores-big-in-love-as-he-marries-longtime-partner-hester-mary-mackinnon/news-story/3cce008f082da0f96b053d0df0534304
- "Ben Brown statistics". AFL Tables. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ben Brown (footballer). |
- Ben Brown's profile on the official website of the North Melbourne Football Club
- Ben Brown's playing statistics from AFL Tables