BALLAN’S Campbell Brown experiment has hit another snag with AFL Victoria last night confirming the controversial defender is still a Gold Coast Suns-listed player.
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This latest twist has given the Blues some hope Brown may be able to line up in the club’s first Central Highlands Football League (CHFL) home game against Waubra on April 12.
AFL Victoria community football manager Gerard Ryan said the issues in bringing Brown to Ballan were in his clearance from the Suns’ list.
Gold Coast sacked Brown in early December for breaking young teammate Steven May’s jaw outside a Los Angeles nightclub in the United States.
The Suns’ decision followed a week-long investigation and was based on the severity of 21-year-old May’s injury, that required
surgery.
This was after AFL lists were finalised, leaving Brown a Suns’ player even though he is no longer at the club.
Ryan said this latest development means that Brown has technically served the one-match suspension he had left hanging after last season because he did not play in the Suns’ season opener against Richmond last Saturday night.
Initially, until late yesterday the CHFL and Ballan had understood the suspension would enact a little-known AFL Victoria rule under which a player cannot transfer between clubs within 28 days after a suspension has been served.
Brown was to have served that suspension for Greta in round one of the Ovens and King Football League on March 29, allowing him eligible to play for Greta in its round two clash on April 6.
That in turn, would strike him from being cleared to play for Ballan a week later.
“It’s not necessarily over for Ballan – all hope is not lost,” Ryan said.
“At the moment, Ballan may still get him but there’s a few things to get ticked off before he can play.”
It marks a rollercoaster 24 hours for Ballan, which had announced in The Courier on Thursday a deal with Brown for a one-off match was all but sealed.
The Blues were notified about the perceived suspension issue late on Thursday night.
Ballan president Billy Smith said the Blues simply had to wait and see what would unfold.
“We can’t confirm what will happen at this stage but we’re hopeful,” Smith said.
“It’s taken another twist but this new development may help but until we hear for certain, all we can do is hope.”
Brown was enticed to play at Ballan by Blues’ coach Mark Williams, a premiership teammate with Hawthorn in 2008.
Radio commentary commitments will keep Brown’s visit to Ballan short should he be cleared. He has on-air duties in the morning and evening on the day of his proposed visit.
patrick.nolan@fairfaxmedia.com.au
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au
