North Melbourne puts Ben Brown up for trade as mass list changes continue
Ben Brown is officially on the market with North Melbourne set to entertain offers for their spearhead. And he’s likely to have a number of suitors, including the Bombers. See where he would best fit and have your say.
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Sixty-goal key forwards don’t grow on trees.
How Ben Brown has gone from having a three-year contract extension on the table at North Melbourne earlier this year to being told to look for a new home is puzzling.
But one thing is for sure – there will be suiters which will leave the phone of Brown’s manager Adam Ramanuaskas ringing hot today.
Brown’s 2020 campaign has not worked out – but it has not been a year that has worked out for many key forwards.
Much of the season has been played in humid conditions in Queensland not conducive to marking talls and flooding and congestion have been rampant across the competition.
Geelong’s Tom Hawkins won the Coleman Medal with 42 goals – an average of just 2.5 a game.
The next best key forward in the competition was Port Adelaide’s Charlie Dixon with 32 goals.
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Brown played only nine games before a season-ending knee injury, kicking eight goals.
But it was an outlier season, with the spearhead having booted 64 goals in 2019, 61 goals in 2018 and 63 goals in 2017.
Just 11 games ago in Round 22 last year, the 27-year-old hammered home 10 goals for the Kangaroos against Port Adelaide.
It was no wonder North Melbourne had been keen to lock in a contract extension over the off-season.
MONEYBALL: LATEST TRADE, FREE AGENCY NEWS
“I don’t know…how you can have a contract that has three years on it, somewhere between $2.3 and $2.4 million attached to it for that period, and get to the end of the year and have nothing in front of you and now looking for another club,” two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King told Fox Footy’s AFL360 on Wednesday night.
“So something’s gone wrong here. Either he’s had a really bad read of what the Kangaroos put in front of him or he simply got out of alignment with what the rest of the AFL community are earning. But to be in this situation I think is a disaster on all fronts – for Ben personally and the group that’s managing him.”
It’s hard to see Brown commanding that sort of money elsewhere now, especially with COVID-19 salary cap cuts.
But if Joe Daniher leaves Essendon, Brown looms as the perfect fix.
The Bombers ranked 14th for scoring once inside-50 this season and the same for overall scores for.
Their leading goalkicker was Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti with 19 goals.
Only Adelaide and North Melbourne had leading goalkickers boot fewer majors this year.
The other thing to consider is Essendon plays plenty of football at Marvel Stadium – Brown’s preferred venue.
From 66 games at Docklands, Brown has kicked 173 goals – an average of 2.6 a game.
From 64 games at all other venues, Brown has kicked 114 goals – an average of 1.8 a game.
Collingwood is another potential suitor, if the Magpies have the salary cap space.
Would Brown provide more than Mason Cox – who has kicked 55 goals from 47 games over the past three seasons?
You’d think so.
Melbourne could also be a possible option, after the Demons ranked sixth for inside-50s this season but missed finals and Bayley Fritsch led their goalkicking with 22 majors.
Or, could Brown relocate interstate and join – and help develop – Ben King in the Gold Coast Suns attack?
That could be a formidable combination over the next two or three years.
Brown still has plenty to offer and will find a new AFL home.
Just where that is – and on what sort of deal – is the big question mark right now.
Hooroo: North puts Brown up for trade
- Jay Clark
North Melbourne has put spearhead Ben Brown up for trade as the club continues its extensive list overhaul.
In a dramatic step, the Roos yesterday confirmed they were prepared to part ways with the four-time leading goal kicker on the back of a season-ending knee injury and surgery.
It appears certain the man who has booted 196 majors over the past four campaigns will be wearing new colours in 2021.
Essendon could make Brown, 27, a priority target in the event Joe Daniher departs Tullamarine, while Melbourne could also consider another key forward.
Collingwood is also in the market for a prime marking target after missing out on Tom Lynch two years ago.
North Melbourne football boss Brady Rawlings said it was a tough call to off-load the 200cm goal kicker after meeting with him on Friday.
“It’s not a decision we’ve made lightly as Ben has been a tremendous part of our club since 2014,” Rawlings said.
“It was a very honest discussion (last week).
“Ben was very mature and understood our decision.
“We will work with Ben and his management to secure a mutually beneficial outcome.”
North Melbourne could secure a late first-round or second-round pick for Brown in November’s exchange period as the club bolsters its position in this year’s draft.
Brown has endured an ordinary year, slotting eight goals from nine games before the knee injury ended his season.
The Roos delisted 11 players and are also entertaining a trade for Jared Polec.
The Herald Sun revealed Melbourne is interested in Polec.
Rawlings said it was an important time for the club to reshape its list after a three-win season under new coach Rhyce Shaw.
“These recent changes can be difficult for everyone involved, including our members, but they have been made in the best interests of the club,” he said.
“We have a clear plan and pathway to lead this club back to finals as quickly as possible.
“We know our members will back us in and trust we are only interested in getting better across the board. We will use every avenue and mechanism available to achieve that.”
DAW DETERMINED TO PLAY ON AFTER DELISTING
— Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane
Majak Daw is determined to find a new club to extend his remarkable football journey after he was among 11 North Melbourne players delisted on Friday.
Daw and leadership group members Jasper Pittard and Jamie Macmillan were let go.
The decisions come as uncontracted spearhead Ben Brown and high-priced midfielder Jared Polec are poised to look for trade opportunities at a club set to tip its list on its head.
The Herald Sun understands Brown will have multiple suitors after negotiations over a three-year deal worth over $2 million were put on hold midway through the season.
Also delisted were Ben Jacobs, Paul Ahern, Mason Wood, Sam Durdin, Marley Williams, Joel Crocker, Lachie Hosie and Tom Murphy
The Roos are set to cut deep on their list, believing they need contested players who will fulfil coach Rhyce Shaw’s style of play.
Daw’s manager Shane Casley told the Herald Sun his client was determined to play on if there was interest elsewhere.
Daw played only four games this year, including his inspiring AFL return after his fall from the Bolte Bridge, but none of them as a key defender.
With North Melbourne set to bring in GWS free agent Aidan Corr next year there was no room for Daw, but a rival club might have a rookie list spot to use the Sudanese-born player as insurance.
“Look, it’s all a bit raw. We haven’t had a decent discussion about it so we will wait and see,” Casley said.
“We have been chatting over the last month or so about where it sits and so he had no illusions that he had to wait and see where his future was, but definitely (he would like to play on).
LIST CHANGES: EVERY 2020 RETIREMENT AND DELISTING
“He has done all the hard work to get back and play some footy and it’s still a big part of his life, so it’s definitely something he would like to do.
“That’s been the frustrating thing we have spoken about this year, not having that set position. Sometimes it’s a good thing but sometimes it’s bad as well.”
Daw said on Friday he was sad to be delisted after 11 seasons of AFL football.
“It’s obviously pretty disappointing that I’m not going to be around going forward,” Daw said.
“(My career) had its highs and lows along the way. I played one final, and I think I played 54 games in 11 years, so it’s quite a humble career, but I’d just like to thank this footy club for giving me an opportunity to be the first African to play in the AFL. It’s something I will always hold close to my heart.
“I’ve made some really good mates at this place. I’ll miss the locker room banter … it just didn’t work out the way I wanted it to this year, there’s been challenges I’ve gone through.
“The last few years obviously haven’t been easy for me, and I can’t thank this footy club enough for what they’ve done for me.”
The Roos kept on uncontracted players including Ed Vickers-Willis and Taylor Garner, which will give them hope they are part of the club’s future plans.
Jacobs was once one of footy’s finest taggers but had a multi-year struggle with neck and concussion issues, while Macmillan has been one of the club’s most reliable defenders.
Durdin played in the loss to West Coast on Thursday night and had a sombre post-match where players did not even have a farewell drink because rival clubs in their hotel are still in finals contention.
Then he was moved on along with Pittard, a member of the club’s leadership group this year, and ex-Pie Marley Williams.
Wood battled with injury and the club began to realise they wanted a more contested forward to take marks down the line and the pair quickly fell out of love.
The Roos are likely to build their forward line around Nick Larkey, Cam Zurhaar and mid-sizer Tarryn Thomas.
They are in the race with Carlton for GWS free agent Zac Williams.
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