New St Kilda full back Nathan Brown believes the change of scenery has helped propel him back towards his career-best form in 2010, where he played a key role in Collingwood’s premiership.
Brown moved from the Magpies to Linen House Centre at the end of last season as an unrestricted free agent after a decade at the club that originally drafted him with pick No. 10 in the 2006 National Draft.
The 29-year-old key defender has played every game so far in 2017, combining with another new face in former Bomber Jake Carlisle to strengthen the Saints in the defensive key posts.
“I think it’s getting back to that (career-best form),” Brown told saints.com.au after returning from a mid-season trip to Byron Bay.
"I think it’s an accumulation of a few things; a different training program at a new club; the style of fitness at the Saints has brought a lot of my explosiveness back into my game to be able to close down on players and remain in the game for four quarters.
“It’s been a great opportunity to not so much revamp my career, but give a little bit extra at this stage of my career, learn some new tricks and experience a new program and meet new people and stuff like that.
“Hopefully that’s translated into my football as well, so far I think it has; I’ve really enjoyed my time so far at the club and really immersed myself into the defence.”
Unlike the vast majority of his new teammates who are yet to feature in September, Brown has played in 10 of them, including two deciders against his new team. Although, he hasn’t played in one since Collingwood’s elimination final loss to Port Adelaide in 2013.
Halfway into his first year in Seaford, Brown says consistency has been a concern for the Saints in 2017. St Kilda has produced some good performances, some poor efforts and lost games they should have won. Now, they need to take the next step in the second half of the season if they are going to challenge for a spot in the eight.
“We’ve had some really good performances, as well as some not so good performances and some tough losses. I guess we’re happy but we’re not really; we’ve dropped some games that we should have won,” Brown said.
“We know we’ve got to go again and take the next step in our development as a team in the second half of this season. Personally, I need to keep developing as a key back and where I fit in the team. I am excited to do that in the second part of the year.”
