EFL 2019: Eastern Football League Rising Star winner Fin Brown secures deal with VFL club Northern Blues

Heathmont forward Fin Brown’s breakout season in the Eastern Football League has been rewarded with a VFL deal, signing with Northern Blues.

Fin Brown flies for a mark for Heathmont last year. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Heathmont forward Fin Brown’s breakout season in the Eastern Football League has been rewarded with a VFL deal, signing with Northern Blues.

Brown kicked 51 goals last year in his first season of senior football and received the EFL’s Division 3 and 4 Rising Star award.

He was also named in the Team of the Year, elevating himself out of the Jets’ under-19s to become an important senior player in 2018.

EFL: PREMIERSHIP MENTOR DEPARTS DONVALE

EFL: FOUR-TIME PREMIERSHIP PLAYER RETURNS TO BALWYN

EFL: WAVERLEY BLUES REVEALS PLANS TO END 11-YEAR FINALS DROUGHT

EFL: NORWOOD ADDS VFL PAIR TO LIST OF RECRUITS

EFL: FAIRPARK LANDS LONG LIST OF RECRUITS

Brown never played in AFL Victoria’s under-18 competition and has developed his craft at H.E. Parker Reserve, mixing his junior football with basketball.

Fin Brown rises above a pack. Picture: Davis Harrigan

He has trained with Northern Blues over the summer and was this week informed he had secured a place with the state league club for this season.

Northern Blues coach Josh Fraser said Brown’s potential had been a standout during the pre-season.

“We think he’s a rangy type of player, he’d be a difficult match up in our forward half — his ability to compete in the air and we think he’s got really good hands,” Fraser said.

“We just think he’s got some traits and some assets he’ll continue to develop that will hopefully make him into a VFL player.

“We take into account their playing ability and I think the other part to it is his character and the way he has brought in and his compliance … he’s given himself every chance to make our list.

“We’ll just see where it goes from here but we’ve been really pleased with what he’s been able to do in his time with us.”

Fraser said Brown could rise from the third tier of the EFL to make his VFL debut in 2019.

“Every player we list, we have some sort of lens towards them playing at some point,” he said.

“That’s what we see in them that they can make that jump. We don’t put a ceiling or a limit on any player but Fin is certainly one that’s got some attributes that we think at VFL could stack up well.”

Northern Blues coach Josh Fraser has has been a fan of Fin Brown over the pre-season. Picture: Valeriu Campan

South Croydon young gun Frank Anderson has also signed with the state league club, while it was also announced recently Boronia premiership player Harvey Chinn had picked up a deal with Port Melbourne.

Brown’s listing with Northern Blues continues Heathmont’s trend of delivering top talent in recent seasons.

Nathan Mullenger-McHugh (Western Bulldogs) and Tom North (Fremantle) were drafted out of Eastern Ranges in 2017 and played junior football at Heathmont.

President Rob Parker said the Jets were chuffed with Brown’s development.

“The aim of our club is to, if we get any of our players come through, that they progress to higher football,” Parker said.

“He’s knuckled down and really driven himself to try and get to that stage of his football.

“You really want to develop your junior players as they come through and you want to promote and push them to have a crack at Eastern Ranges progress from there.

“You want to give them an environment where they can improve and have a chance at having a crack.”

MORE LOCAL FOOTY

RDFL: RIDDELL PREPARING TO CONTEND AGAIN

VFL: AARON HEPPELL TO CAPTAIN BOMBERS

NFL: LOWER PLENTY STEELED FOR DIVISION 1 CHALLENGE

EDFL: MARIBYRNONG PARK DISMISSES DIRE FORECAST

LOCAL FOOTY HQ: THE LATEST PLAYER AND COACHING MOVES