Due to niggling injuries the past few years, Brown has spent a lot of his pre-sesaon time training with rehab and specialist groups.
But Brown, who arrived in Noosa today for a week-long camp with his teammates, was looking in fantastic shape at this morning’s running session and says he’s never felt better.
“It’s been awhile - probably the best part of ten years - since I’ve been involved in the first day of pre-season, with injuries and the like,” Brown said.
“It’s been disappointing the past two years, not being able to participate with all the injuries I’ve had.”
“You do get sick of training in rehab groups, and in isolation, so I’m really keen to get out and support the boys.”
His most recent injury setback was not one, but two, clashes during the 2011 season which left him with facial fractures - and an 8-week rest period for each.
But Brown said that it had given him the opportunity to work hard on the non-contact aspects of his footy.
“It was a blessing in disguise, and a hard one, but it’s freed the rest of my body up,” Brown said.
“And while I want to make sure I don’t get carried away over the pre-season, I’m really keen to be involved every step of the way for the first time in a while.”
Brown’s limited game time in 2011 also meant that he somewhat missed the opportunity to form on-field relationships with some of the younger players coming through the Club, but he believes that a full pre-season will remedy this.
“The first step is to spend the next three or four months getting on the end of their kicks and knowing the way I move and spending time training together. It’s going to be very beneficial to build those relationships with the midfield group and some of our good young forwards,” Brown said.
“We know we want to improve, and we’ve got to improve a hell of a lot as individuals and as a team and get the Lions back up the ladder.”
The Lions are spending their first week of pre-season at training camp on the Sunshine Coast. Keep an eye on lions.com.au for all the exclusive news, diairies, and video from Noosa.
