Coburg’s affiliation with the Calder Cannons further continues to build across this preseason, with Vic Metro representative Karl Brown given the opportunity to add to his brief stint in 2016 with the Lions, for season 2017.
Playing his Junior football with Essendon District League sides Taylors Lakes and Essendon Doutta Stars, Brown would join Calder in 2015 following a season where he made his senior EDFL debut as a sixteen-year-old- having managed 43 goals in the under 18’s.
He burst onto the scene with an eight goal performance early in the season, however only a few weeks later would suffer a serious knee injury, effectively ending his draft hopes for that year along with Vic Metro selection. He would still finish with 36 goals from 11 games, finishing second in the competition goalkicking, and would be rewarded with another season as a nineteen-year-old.
Free of injury, Brown then would continue on from the promising 2015 with 46 goals, and taking out the competition goalkicking. His best performance came in late April against the Gippsland Power- managing 19 possessions and nine marks, for nine goals. He would step up to play 2 games as 23rd man for the Lions, for one goal later in 2016 and would eventually finish 5th in the Cannons Best & Fairest.
With interest from other clubs, Brown, who harbours AFL ambitions saw Coburg as the best fit for his own football.
“Just getting around the boys, I like the opportunity here and I think that if you work hard enough, there are always going to be opportunities here at Coburg, that’s why I decided to come across,” Brown said.
Sebastian Spagnuolo was delighted to have secured the services of the promising key forward.
“Karl is the latest Calder Cannon to join our football club and we’re excited to have him in our program full time after he played 2 games for us in 2016,” said Spagnuolo.
“Karl comes to Coburg as a proven TAC Cup goalkicker, and he’s determined to work on his overall game to make it at the next level.”
Karl follows in the footsteps of older brother Jake, who played for Coburg in 2013 after coming out of the Cannons TAC Cup program. Stay tuned for more this week.
