IN HIS 250th career game, Jonathan Brown stood up to be counted – he just needed a few teammates to join him.
The former skipper was a colossus in his milestone game, and with the help of a few youngsters during the third quarter, gave the Brisbane Lions a fighting chance of upsetting Richmond.
But to the frustration of the 20,676 mostly parochial Gabba crowd – and Lions coach Justin Leppitsch – few teammates were able to support the champion forward.
Brown got the Gabba faithful to their feet early in the third quarter when his goal following a vintage mark drifting across in front of three players brought the deficit back to two points.
When livewire Lewis Taylor kicked truly five minutes later, the Lions had hit the front for the first time.
But that was the end of the surge, as Richmond kicked five straight to bury the contest and run out 43-point winners.
It was Brown's best game for a long time, as the 32-year-old collected 16 disposals, nine marks – three of them contested – and kicked four goals.
He took marks on the lead, diving full stretch forward and in packs, in a performance that reminded everyone just what he was capable of.
Despite playing an inexperienced team that included 10 players with less than 25 games, Leppitsch said the leaders needed to take control once hitting the front.
"We were in front half-way through the third and we gave up four pretty soft goals," Leppitsch said.
"That's where a bit of leadership, we still had some leaders on the field that could take over and make sure the game stayed contained and we could keep control.
"I thought we had them, they started to slow a little bit and the game was delicately poised for a bit and we gave up some easy ones and then their morale lifts again."
Leppitsch said despite injuries to Daniel Rich (knee), Matthew Leuenberger (knee) and Pearce Hanley (hamstring), along with suspended full-back Daniel Merrett, his team was still in a position to win.
"We've been hit by a few things in the last few weeks, injuries, suspensions … footy dishes up all this stuff," he said.
"I've been in this game for 22 years and seen some highs and seen some lows, it's common, it turns around."
