He’s not the first name associated with Adelaide’s seventh-ranked defence but the numbers say Luke Brown is one of best-performing defenders at the Crows

He doesn’t get the praise of his more high-profile teammates. But there’s an Adelaide defender who has wasted little time reminding the football world how important he is to the Crows’ back-six.

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The ball-winning ways of Rory Laird, the dashing speed from half-back of Brodie Smith and the key-pillars in Daniel Talia, Kyle Hartigan and the AFL’s new intercept king Alex Keath.

They’re the names most associate with Adelaide’s seventh-ranked defence.

But the numbers say the unheralded — from the outside, at least — Luke Brown is, again, one of the best-performing defenders at West Lakes.

Luke Brown puts pressure on Giant Daniel Lloyd in Adelaide’s Round 12 victory at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

The 26-year-old, who missed the first two months of the season after ankle surgery, has conceded just two goals to his primary direct match-up in five games this year.

Port Adelaide’s Sam Gray, Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron, West Coast’s Liam Ryan and Melbourne’s Christian Petracca have failed to record a major with Brown by their side.

Giant Daniel Lloyd, the late replacement for Toby Greene, who also would’ve been Brown’s match-up, booted one goal last week.

But when the long-kicking Brett Deledio comes streaming out of the middle, a one-on-one duel in the goalsquare is a tough ask for any defender.

LUKE BROWN’S MATCH-UPS IN 2019

GAME	OPPONENT	MATCH-UP TIME (mins)	GOALS CONCEDED
Round 8 v Port	Sam Gray	29	0
Round 9 v Brisbane	Charlie Cameron	23	0
Round 9 v Brisbane	Lincoln McCarthy	22	1
Round 10 v West Coast	Liam Ryan	45	0
Round 11 v Melbourne	Christian Petracca	27	0
Round 12 v GWS	Daniel Lloyd	42	1

And Richmond’s dangerous small forwards, Daniel Rioli and Jason Castagna, in particular, won’t have it any easier at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.

In their last meeting, Brown, who finished seventh in the Crows’ Club Champion in 2018, split his time between Rioli and Castagna, conceding just the one goal in a combined 64 minutes of play.

And, despite the result, in the 63 minutes he was directly opposed to him in the 2017 grand final, Brown kept Rioli goalless.

LUKE BROWN v RICHMOND

GAME	OPPONENT	MATCH-UP TIME (mins)	GOALS CONCEDED
GF, 2017	Daniel Rioli	63	0
Round 2, 2018	Shane Edwards	33	1
Round 16, 2018	Jason Castagna	37	0
Round 16, 2018	Daniel Rioli	27	1

As defenders have to be in the modern game, Brown is equally efficient with the ball in-hand.

Excluding Tom Doedee, who played a half before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Hawks, Brown ranks No. 1 at the club for disposal efficiency and kicking efficiency.

The right-footer hits the target with 86 per cent of his kicks — seven per cent more than the second-ranked Jake Kelly.

While Brown’s 10 kicks per game is the only the 14th-highest at the Crows, his 8.6 effective kicks ranks fourth.

Brown has taken 19 kick-ins since returning, the second most of any Crow, and that helps given the new play-on rule but his decision making and execution in any situation is rarely off.

The 181cm Brown, who boasts a disposal average of 81 per cent across his 140-game career, has tallied just four clangers in his five matches this season and his average 0.8 per game is the equal-best at the club.

Luke Brown is tackled by Eagles Josh Kennedy and Willie Rioli. Picture SARAH REED

No wonder coach Don Pyke had no hesitation in recalling Brown for Showdown 46 after just one match — on limited game-time — in the SANFL.

Brown hit the target with 17 of his 18 disposals that night and, while his name still won’t be the first discussed when the football conversation turns to the Crows’ defence, it would be one of the first Pyke puts up on his whiteboard each week.