It’s the straightforward three-word message that has pushed Callum Brown.
“Don’t come back.”
The 22-year-old receives the textual content usually from household and buddies again residence in Ireland. Their definition of success is that if he’s nonetheless in Australia, issues have to be good.
This week, he informed them he had signed a two-year contract extension with the GWS Giants – the primary multi-season deal of his profession.
The news was acquired as nicely in Limavady because it was by Brown himself.
“The past couple of years, it’s just been one-year deals, one after the other,” Brown mentioned.
“Now I’m playing good footy and want to create more for the team. I want to stay here in Sydney, I don’t want to move anywhere else.
“Everyone is still texting from back home. It’s always the text, ‘Don’t come back … the county is going well but they don’t need you right now. Focus out there, keep your mindset where it is, and you’ll be good’.”
Brown rapidly emerged as a Gaelic soccer star as an adolescent. He performed throughout the age teams in Derry, whereas additionally dabbling in an array of different sports activities, earlier than GWS scouts noticed him in motion.
While his physicality on the sector set him aside from his friends, the conviction he had in his capacity made up for his nerves when transferring to the opposite facet of the world as an 18-year-old.
“I had absolutely no idea of anyone out here, no friends or family, I’ve always just wanted to experience something new,” Brown mentioned. “The Giants were keen to take me up, so I jumped with it without any hesitation.
“I wanted to do something professional and make use of my athleticism.”
He joined the Giants formally in 2018 as a Category B rookie and went about making his sporting desires come true in Australia.
The transition to Aussie guidelines from Gaelic soccer got here considerably naturally. Brown admits, nonetheless, adapting to the perspective wanted to succeed in the elite stage took a while.
“I think the coaches probably didn’t pick up from the start the kind of person I was, I was very relaxed and laid back,” Brown mentioned. “It might look like I didn’t want to be there but really, I loved it.
“I knew I had the attributes, but I probably needed more of a footy sense. Maybe I just didn’t put the effort in that they wanted from me.
“It was a real kick up the a**, there were a couple of them throughout the years. Serious conversations in the meeting rooms with the coaches and Jason McCartney – ‘What are you doing? We know you have it, but you’re not showing it’.
“It clicked in my head. This is exactly what I want in my life, so I need to put more effort into it.”
Brown lastly broke by means of for his AFL debut in 2021 as a medical sub in opposition to Brisbane. In his second match in opposition to Geelong, he didn’t end the sport because of a hamstring damage.
But he has now performed eight matches in every of the previous two seasons. In every passing recreation, he has proven one other glimpse of his creating expertise.
That included getting three Brownlow votes final yr in opposition to Hawthorn, this week’s opponents, on the again of a four-goal efficiency.
Deployed in a extra ahead function in 2023, Brown has kicked seven objectives for the season and has been one of many Giants’ strongest marking targets with their type turning since he got here again into the facet in spherical seven.
If that continues, he hopes to ultimately be capable of convey his household over to indicate them why he’s fallen in love with the sport and the best way GWS are taking part in.
“My little brother is still at school, my sister is over in London texting me … trying to send hints of me paying for the flights,” Brown mentioned.
“Now that I’ve got two more years, I’ll definitely get them out next year if I don’t get them by the end of the year.
“You can tell by the celebrations how much it means. We spoke about it in meetings, we want to celebrate everything – whether it’s a tackle, spoil or a goal.
“We want to move it quickly. We want to move off the line. And at the minute there’s no frustration between the group. Everyone’s playing their role and you can tell by how we’re winning.
Brown certainly feels at home in Sydney, he’s even convinced some friends from Ireland to follow his path.
But his main goal is repaying the Giants for the faith they’ve shown in him. And that starts with living up to his own confident expectations.
“I just want to stay at the club and do the most for the club as well,” he mentioned.
“I don’t really get inspired by other people. I don’t want to say it in a cocky way, but I know I have it in me so why should I look to someone else to play their game, why can’t I make my own type of style of footy.
“That’s always been the same, even with Gaelic, my mindset was I knew I was the best and I’ll stay the best.”
Originally printed as Callum Brown indicators two-year extension with GWS Giants as Irish recruit begins to seek out his ft within the AFL
Source: www.news.com.au
