Yarraville Club Cricket Club is promoting Saturday as the day for punters to “Have a Crownie with Browny”.
It’s a clever slogan for the Clubbers, who are looking forward to hosting Brisbane Lions triple premiership superstar Jonathan Brown.
While the catchcry is mostly aimed at pulling in big numbers for what is sure to be an entertaining sportmans’ night, Clubbers coach Michael O’Keefe says Brown donning the whites at Hansen Reserve for his ladder-topping VTCA senior division side in the afternoon is no gimmick. “He was a very good cricketer when he was growing up,” he said.
“He was a left-arm quick and he used to open the batting as well. He had the potential to play district cricket but he was always going to be drafted [to the AFL].” O’Keefe’s ties to Brown go back to their days knocking about as teenagers in Warrnambool.
O’Keefe revealed that he approached Brown to play for Footscray Edgewater, but his AFL commitments have always prevented such a move.
With Brown back living in Melbourne, the timing was right for him to make a guest appearance for Yarraville Club against Strathmore at Hansen Reserve this Saturday. “We’ll tack on a sportsmans’ night after it, which should make it a big day for the club.” Brown will train with his Yarraville Club teammates for the first time tomorrow night.
