THE RACE for the Coleman Medal is set to come down to the final game of the season, but North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says star forward Ben Brown isn't focused on taking out the honour.
Brown heads into the last round of the season having booted 58 goals. He sits two behind the competition leader, Jack Riewoldt, who plays for Richmond against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday.
Lance Franklin (57 goals) and Tom Hawkins (56 goals) are also in the hunt for the Coleman.
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But playing in the Sunday twilight fixture means the Roos will go into their clash with St Kilda knowing exactly how many goals Brown will need to take out the Coleman Medal, however Scott said the 25-year-old was not driven to claim the goalkicking crown.
"I think it'd be a great reward for his season and for our season, but you talk to Ben and it's not at the forefront of his mind," Scott said.
"That's again the coaching clichés that come out around staying in the moment, and just focusing on the next contest – that's the way Ben plays his best footy. I think if he went out and thought 'I want to kick a bag today' he'd go away from the things that make him a good player.
"He'll just stay focused on the way he needs to play. But I don't think he'll be able to stop 21 other blokes trying to kick it to him too often."
Former North forward and now Sydney coach John Longmire was the last Roo to win the Coleman, when he booted 98 goals in 1990.
It would be a great achievement for Brown, who was drafted out of the VFL after suffering knee injuries before North picked him in 2013. However, the straight-kicker has set his sights on palming some opportunities off to retiring teammate Jarrad Waite in his final game.
"'Browny' has said he's going to try to get the ball to 'Waitey' as much as possible too, so it's a pretty unique game this one in that regard," Scott said.
"I'll be trying to get the players in the mindset of taking the best option that's available. Fortunately for Ben, that's usually him."
Waite's decision to retire means the spotlight now turns to veteran defender Scott Thompson, who remains out of contract heading into the off-season.
Thompson has played every game this season and remains a key member of North's back half, and Scott said he would like to see him play on in 2019.
"We're talking all the time. Scotty's had a great season. We've just got to continue to work through all the moving parts that every club faces at this time of the year. We've had great discussions and we've got a great long-standing relationship," he said.
"We're all really clear, but there are some unknowns at the moment that we just can't put a full stop on. We're pretty confident we'll be able to expedite that process. It won't be a situation where he's sitting waiting through October to see what's happening.
"I think Scotty's proven this year he's played a vital role for us on-field, but a vital role, with Robbie Tarrant, in helping develop Majak Daw, Ben McKay and Sam Durdin. There's a crucial role he's played this year and ideally I'd like him to continue that."
Sunday's clash with the Saints will see the Roos likely replace injured youngster Will Walker (knee) with another fresh-face, with the club's first-round draft pick Luke Davies-Uniacke to be named in the 25-man squad.
Ben Jacobs will not play, but would have been cleared if the club had a game next week after his run of concussion issues.
Robbie Tarrant will also play, despite dealing with a "really severe gash" on his knee last week.
"Robbie told me he wasn't going to miss a game with a scratch on his knee, [but] the plastic surgeon described it as a bit more than a scratch. It was remarkable the way he was able to get up and function pretty well, albeit not perfect. But he's recovered really well from that now, he'll do full training today and be ready to go," Scott said.
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