Kensington captain Jake Brown already on track for special year but wants drought-breaking premiership to top it off

Kensington captain Jake Brown is hoping for a hat-trick of new additions this year. With his first child on the way and a third Bradman Medal now in his possession, Brown is eyeing a drought-breaking two-day premiership this weekend.

Kensington captain Jake Brown won his record-equalling third Bradman Medal on Wednesday night. Photo - Naomi Jellicoe

• Winter’s swearing has him ineligible for medal
• Kensington wins One-Day Cup as Dalton stars

Kensington captain Jake Brown is hoping for a hat-trick of new additions this year.

With his partner, Megan, due in July with the couple’s first child and a third Bradman Medal now in his possession, Brown’s 2019 is already shaping up to be special.

Leading Kensington to a premiership this weekend – when the Browns have all four senior men’s teams in grand finals – will be the icing on the cake.

Particularly given the club is without a two-day A-grade flag in eight years and has lost five semi-finals and one title decider since then.

“Everything’s been perfect so far and Megan’s amazing,” Brown says.

“I’ve got a couple of months to go (before the birth) but I’m really excited and looking forward to it.

“Hopefully it is a special year with the new addition and hopefully a premiership.

“At Kensington, we’ve had so much heartache and so many heartbreaks over the last eight years, so to win the two-day comp would mean everything.”

Jake Brown, pictured in 2017, took 16 wickets this season but plans to give up bowling next summer. Picture: Matt Loxton

Brown, 33, on Wednesday night joined John Lill, Rob O’Shannassy and Luke Williams as three-time Bradman medallists.

No player has claimed four medals.

The Kensington skipper polled 39 votes to finish eight clear of runner-up Kelvin Smith, a co-winner of the award last year, in the count at Adelaide Oval.

Brown, who has made 749 runs at 62.42 and taken 16 wickets at 20.94 in 2018/19, reckons he has had more consistent campaigns but none with a better run of standout performances.

Kensington’s all-time leading run scorer began the season by making 113, 83, 102, 84 and 108, and snaring nine wickets among in his first six games, as the Browns shot to the top of the ladder, where they stayed all summer.

The appointment of Russell Thompson as Browns A-grade coach to support Ben Johnswood, improved pre-season fitness and having one-dayers in the first five rounds were key factors behind his form.

“The last two pre-seasons I’ve had a knee operation and also put a huge gash in my leg at work (as a groundsman) in one of them so I didn’t really hit balls a lot for that time and struggled a bit going in,” he says.

Jake Brown at work as a curator at Kensington’s home ground, Parkinson Oval. Picture Greg Higgs

“This year I had a bit more of a consistent pre-season and was probably a bit fitter at the start of the year, also we had a new coach and new training structure.

“When you get a new coach, regardless of how old you are you’ve always got to try and impress and do the right thing.”

Brown plans to stop bowling and focus on batting, owing to a run of soft-tissue injuries this season, including groin, hamstring and hip flexor problems.

That does not mean retirement is necessarily around the corner.

“Hopefully I play two to three (more years), at a minimum,” he says.

“You never know what’ll happen – I’ve got a baby on the way and that may change things.

“But I still love cricket and when I stop enjoying it, I’ll know and I won’t be playing.”

Brown on Wednesday also claimed the Fred Godson Medal as player of the One-Day Cup, which Kensington won last month.

Follow @MattTurner