Is This The New $6 Million Dollar Man?
Last week the rumor was that Brisbane Lions Superstar Jonathon Brown would be heavily chased by the Collingwood Football Club. If any Club want the Brown Dog then they are going to have put up with some serious cash!
Brown has just began negotiations with Brisbane on a new contract that will keep him at the Gabba for life and will also make him the highest paid footballer in Australia. From all reports he is after a 5 Year contract worth $1.2 Million a year. Not even Wallaby Lote Tuqiri is earning that much. 5 Year contracts are obviously a huge risk for clubs and they would generally favour the 3 year contracts. There have been some big mistakes in terms of long contracts of late, most noteably Aaron Hamill at St Kilda and Justin Leppitsch at Brisbane. A 5 year deal with Jonathon Brown may be a big risk as well. Even though he his the best Center Half Forward in the league, how is his body going to be in 2 o 3 years from now?
What will more than likely get the Lions over the line is that Brown will will qualify for the Veterans List for in the final two years of the anticipated five-year deal, meaning that only half of Brown’s salary would be counted under the club’s salary cap. Considering the new team entering in the Gold Coast and the likely introduction of some type of free agency then the Lions will want to get there act together on this.
Browny is the reigning Coleman medalist, a two-time club champion, an All-Australian centre half-forward and the competition’s best captain as voted by the players’ association. There is debate at the moment especially on Melbourne radio about who is the best Center Half Forward at the moment with the emergence of Lance Franklin. Who would you take into a Grank Final? Jonathon Brown or Lance Franklin?
My Money is one Jonathon Brown. Want some highlights of the Brown Dog. Check out this package and also this one. One of the Best Marks you will ever see.
At the moment like I said hear I would pick Franklin on form but when both at their best, probably Brown as he has the credentials and runs on the board.
In regards to the bad 5 year deals do not forget duds like Terry Wallace and Mark Mecuri from Essendon. Leppitsch was a good move - all Australian etc but Hamill was a dud but injuries do that.
Wallaby Lote Tuqiri is also a dud and its no wonder why he does not get money like that. Brown is a leader and awesome player. I reckon it woul dbe money well spent.