KADE Brown jokes that he’s timed his run perfectly.
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While missing 11 matches in the middle of the season would generally be described as less than ideal, Brown says it wasn’t all bad being sidelined with a fractured ankle.
“It was the coldest part of winter, I was pretty happy with that,” the 28-year-old laughed.
Jokes aside, Thurgoona is pretty happy Brown is back on the field.
The former North Albury star was best-on-ground when the Bulldogs hammered Mitta United in the second semi-final and will no doubt come in for close attention when the sides meet in Saturday’s grand final at Sandy Creek.
Like the Bulldogs, who are aiming for their first senior flag since entering the Tallangatta and District league in 1988, Brown is gunning for his first premiership.
He was an emergency for North Albury’s most recent grand final appearance in 2007 and came up short when playing for Nightcliff in the 2012 decider against Tiwi Islands.
With five matches under his belt since returning against the Blues in round 15, where he says he had a “shocker”, Brown is back to full fitness in an ominous sign for the opposition.
“It took a while to get it back but you get better each week and now it feels 100 per cent, I’m running around and moving pretty well,” he said.
While Brown is confident the Bulldogs will give a good account of themselves in the grand final, he is reading little into the 88-point hiding they inflicted on the Blues less than a fortnight ago.
While some rival coaches felt the predicted 20-40mm of rain on Friday would suit Mitta United, Brown said the Bulldogs were equally at home in the heavy going.
“I don’t think Saturday’s game is going to go quite the way it did two weeks ago when we played them,” he said.
“I think that was a one-off.
“We put in a really good performance and didn’t let them play the way they wanted but I think this week is going to be a lot different.
“Whatever happens on Friday happens, I don’t think it’s going to suit anyone, it will be the same for both sides.
“Going through the middle part of the year, you’re playing in six inches of mud at some of those grounds so you have to go good in those conditions.
“We’ve had to play some pretty decent footy in the wet.”
No one will enjoy heavy conditions more than Brown’s brother, Aydan, who celebrated his 33rd birthday during the week.
The man nicknamed “Bull” has been thrown into the midfield by co-coaches Peter Copley and Jamarl O’Sullivan and Brown said it would be a huge thrill to play in a grand final alongside his brother.
“When I joined Thurgoona, he was pretty much the main reason why I came across,” he said.
“It’s been great to play with him. He’s getting better with age.”
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Xavier Mardling
Xavier started at The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in 2001, covering sport and general news before moving to the subs' desk. He was editor of his hometown masthead from 2016 to 2020 before swapping the Murray for Merewether. He returned to The Border Mail as editor in 2023.
Xavier started at The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in 2001, covering sport and general news before moving to the subs' desk. He was editor of his hometown masthead from 2016 to 2020 before swapping the Murray for Merewether. He returned to The Border Mail as editor in 2023.
