CASEY Demons full-forward Mitch Brown is set to join a select club when he plays his 100th VFL game in his team’s clash with Coburg at Casey Fields on Sunday.
Brown, 31, returns to the Demons team after missing last week’s win over Williamstown with concussion to reach a milestone that has been more than 12 years in the making since he was taken from Cheltenham and the Sandringham Dragons by Geelong at No.15 in the 2008 NAB AFL National Draft.
He has kicked 145 goals in his 99 VFL matches for the Cats (2009-14), Sandringham (2015), Essendon (2016-19) and Casey (2020-2022), having also played 76 AFL matches for 72 goals for the Cats, Bombers and Melbourne.
And he was in excellent form before being concussed early in the Round 2 game against Essendon, having booted seven goals in the season opener against the Zebras.
He returns to the Casey team in place of namesake forward Ben Brown, who was suspended for a week for rough conduct on Seagull Max Philpot last week, with the Brown swap being one of five changes for the Demons, who have also been strengthened by the returns of Jake Melksham, Joel Smith and Adam Tomlinson, while Devon Meadows youngster Ryan Koo Kwet Kim, 19, will make his debut.
SMITHY’S VFL TEAMS, ROUND 4 – click here
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Harry Petty has been called into the Melbourne team, but Tom Freeman has been ruled out indefinitely with a serious ankle injury.
Coburg made four changes, with former Box Hill-listed player Trent Warren, 24, to make his VFL debut and Dylan Thomas, who played one game for Collingwood, to become a Lion for the first time, while Aaron Clarke and Ben Jepson also return.
Northern Bullants have suffered a double blow for their trip to Sydney, with Danny Hughes (personal) and Ben Silvagni (elbow, three weeks) ruled out and former Casey back-up ruckman Andrew Courtney to make his Smithy’s VFL debut, while the Swans have been boosted by the returns of Lewis Taylor, Sam Wicks, Barry O’Connor and Nick Shipley, despite losing big men Logan McDonald (AFL) and Lachlan McAndrew (hamstring).
Port Melbourne has also been rocked by injury once again ahead of its game against Essendon, with captain Tom O’Sullivan and key recruit Mitch Lewis both ruled out for up to a month with hamstring problems.
In other big changes:
- Sandringham has left AFL emergencies Tom Campbell and Tom Highmore out and has Mitch Riordan in health and safety protocols, but Zak Jones and Darragh Joyce have been selected and Oliver Lowe and Blake Watson will debut.
- Gold Coast has lost Charlie Constable (concussion) and Joel Jeffrey (groin, 3-4 weeks).
- Collingwood high-flyer Ash Johnson is out for two months with a serious hamstring injury.
- Ladder-leader Carlton made nine changes to the team that beat Gold Coast, with Will Hayes coming in for his 100th VFL game alongside eight AFL-listed players, while Jesse Glass-McCasker has been suspended for two weeks and captain Matt Shannon among those omitted.
- Josh Caddy and Rhyan Mansell are in for Richmond, which loses Tom Brown.
- Essendon has rested Ben Jolley for the second time in four weeks as one of six changes, with skipper Joe Atley, Harry Jones, Kaine Baldwin, Brayden Ham and Tex Wanganeen all included.
All Smithy’s VFL matches in 2022 can be streamed LIVE and FREE through the below website, the AFL Live official app and the VFL app.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
SANDRINGHAM v GOLD COAST
Saturday, April 16, 11.05am @ Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval
(https://www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=7, 11am)
Prediction: Sandringham by 13
COLLINGWOOD v GWS
Saturday, April 16, 2.05pm @ AIA Centre
(https://www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=7, 2pm)
Prediction: Collingwood by 8
CARLTON v RICHMOND
Sunday, April 17, 11.05am @ Ikon Park
(https://www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=7, 11am)
Prediction: Carlton by 23
SYDNEY v NORTHERN BULLANTS
Sunday, April 17, 1.05pm @ Blacktown International Sports Park
(https://www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=7, 1pm)
Prediction: Sydney by 40
CASEY DEMONS v COBURG
Sunday, April 17, 1.35pm @ Casey Fields
(https://www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=7, 1.30pm)
Prediction: Casey Demons by 33
PORT MELBOURNE v ESSENDON
Sunday, April 17, 2.10pm @ ETU Stadium
(https://www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=7, 2pm)
Prediction: Essendon by 21
Brendan Rhodes’ winners: Last Round: 7. Season: 20
All Smithy’s VFL matches in 2022 can be viewed live and free. The VFL Match of the Round will be screened each week on Channel 7, with all other matches to be livestreamed via vfl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Radio stations Casey Radio, 3WBC and RPPFM will also again be broadcasting regular matches.
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play app stores.
Keep track of your Smithy’s VFL team via our VFL Match Centre, which features live scores, team and player stats, match timeline, events summary and Fantasy points. Check it out here (https://www.afl.com.au/vfl/fixture)
