Why Essendon should buy struggling North Melbourne forward Ben Brown at the bottom of the trade market
Former Essendon star Brendon Goddard is unsold on the value of key forwards in the modern game – but that shouldn’t stop the Bombers pursuing out-of-form Kangaroo Ben Brown, writes Jon Ralph.
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Ben Brown and North Melbourne could be due for a conscious uncoupling in coming months rather than a dramatic public split.
As his manager Adam Ramanauskas said on Wednesday night he and the club are not only a way apart on his tenure but the money isn’t close to right either.
Brown would like four years, they might only offer two, and all of it just keeps building towards two parties drifting apart.
Why wouldn’t Essendon be there to pick up the pieces, not so much as a rebound romance but as a potential match made in heaven?
Brown couldn’t have had a worse season with the loss of one of the twins wife Hester is carrying, as well as his form struggles and a niggling knee injury.
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Everyone is lining up to identify his weaknesses in graphic detail.
Yet the essence of trading is to hope to buy at the bottom of the market and turn that property into something valuable again, as Essendon did with Dylan Shiel, Jake Stringer and Devon Smith in recent seasons.
From 2017-2019 no player kicked more goals in football – Brown kicked 188 goals in 66 matches, more than Jeremy Cameron and Lance Franklin (both 167 goals) in a trio of 60-goal seasons.
He might not be the perfect Joe Daniher replacement, but in that time Daniher played 34 games for 80 goals.
You can get sucked into potential and upside and all that nonsense, or Ben Rutten could realise securing a 27-year-old, hugely durable full forward is actually the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
Essendon, which kicked three goals last week, has an emerging ruckman in Sam Draper, an elite backline, a fleet of mid-sized forwards and a huge gaping hole at full forward.
If they could secure Brown on a reasonable three-year deal he would be the perfect complement to the kind of quicksilver ball movement they are trying to create.
Former Essendon midfielder Brendon Goddard believes Daniher will be lost to the Swans but isn’t convinced about Brown as his potential replacement.
“He is a replacement but I don’t know if he’s perfect,” he said yesterday.
He isn’t of the calibre of Joey when he’s fit and in form but he’s been a pretty good player for a number of years. I am really questioning the value of big tall forwards now.
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“So whether it’s worth it for Essendon? There will always be someone in desperate need of a key forward with a war chest who can pay him more, but what is the value of a key forward if footy continues to pan out the way it does?
“I don’t think Essendon has anyone else in the wings.
“Draper is a pure ruckman and he’s going well, but in today’s game you look at the small forward on the Coleman board, medium-sized players like Toby Greene who are good in the air and good on the ground, they are the most valuable forwards in the competition.”
Goddard might be right about current trends, but you get feeling there could be clubs kicking themselves at not pushing harder for Brown next year as he peels off another 60 goals as the one that got away.