After suffering multiple facial fractures back in Round 1 against Fremantle and missing eight weeks of footy, some people thought it might be wise for the big fella to take things a little bit easier on his return.
But they obviously don’t know Browny.
He has never been - and never will be - the type of player to hold himself back on a footy field. He thrives on every contest and loves to crash and bash and provide a physical presence up forward.
I know first-hand how hard it can be playing on him. During my days at the Saints when I was given the job on Browny, you would certainly brace yourself for a tough day at the office. It wasn’t just that he could tear you apart with his obvious skills, but he’d leave you feeling nice and sore for the next few days.
That’s the way he plays and it’s what's made him a superstar of the competition.
His latest incident last Sunday against Geelong was further proof that he would go to any length for his team, regardless of the personal consequences. While it is difficult for his family and our fans to watch, as a team-mate it’s hard not to be inspired by that type of commitment.
Some media experts have labelled him as too ‘reckless’ for his own good and suggest he should start taking better care of himself out on the field as he gets older. But you can’t help but think that a lot of it can be attributed to shocking luck.
That back-with-the-flight marking attempt against the Cats wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for Browny - he’s been doing that for more than a decade! It just so happens that twice in the same year he has been seriously injured by an accidental knee or elbow.
If there are such things as football Gods, then they haven’t been too kind to Browny - or our team - this year.
Although we will be without our Captain now for the remainder of the season, I have no doubt that the big guy will be raring to go once our 2012 pre-season kicks off. And I don’t think the latest setback will change the way he plays the game.
