RETIREMENT doesn’t sit well with Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown.
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The boy from Warrnambool who became a fearless star of the AFL is still coming to terms with the fact his decorated career is over.
Brown feels fit and healthy. He was starting to hit his straps in the back half of season 2014 and was keen to play on in 2015.
But the uncertainty over his long-term health, sparked by a longer-than-normal recovery time from concussions, reluctantly forced him to accept his fate.
“That’s why it’s more frustrating — you still feel healthy enough to play,” Brown said at an AFL 9s clinic in Warrnambool yesterday.
“I trained with the boys a couple of times in non-contact drills in the back end of the year. I came away from those sessions feeling very frustrated, just because I felt all right. I was asking myself the question ‘why have I retired?’
“It’s the invisible injury, but I understand at the same time it’s an injury.”
The decision to hang up the boots was ultimately easy to make. Brown needs only to glance at his children Olivia, Jack and Macy to know the call was right.
“The doctors have looked after me for 15 years. When they say ‘enough’, it’s hard to go against that,” he said.
“It took me a week to get my head around it, that’s for sure. Spending a little bit of time with the kids probably put things into perspective.
“I was starting to hit my straps the last month of my season. I was starting to get keen to go again in 2015.
“I was a bit frustrated (at having to retire), but I look at it as I was lucky enough to play for 15 years and play in successful teams.” They are 15 years he never could have envisaged when attempting to impress recruiters while at the Geelong Falcons in 1999.
His AFL resume reads 254 games, three premierships, three club best-and-fairest awards, seven seasons as captain and two All-Australian selections.
“People used to compliment me on winning a premiership and that ticked me off a little bit,” he said.
“I know people mean well, but I was trying to win the next premiership.
“Now I’ve got time to reflect. I’m very proud of my career.”
Brown said he hoped to work with the Lions’ forwards next season in a similar role to what he had this season.
He predicted big things from emerging goalkickers Michael Close and Jonathan Freeman.
“It’s important to have patience with key forwards,” he said.
Rising Star award winner Lewis Taylor, a Terang Mortlake junior before making it to the AFL, is another with a bright future. “He’s a star. He’ll have a long career, hopefully, barring injury,” Brown said.
“He’s a terrific character. It’s amazing he slipped so far in the draft.
“It just goes to show those of any height can make it in this game, as long as you’ve got the ticker and the skills and the will to succeed.”
Brown said he would likely remain in Queensland, with wife Kylie’s family hailing from the Gold Coast.
He said coaching was “not on the radar at the moment, but you never know how things pan out”.
“I’m really looking forward to the next few years in the media, mainly because I get to watch footy,” he said.
“It’s something I haven’t been able to do for the last 14 years. I love watching footy. I love watching the great players going around.”