VAFA: Ex-AFL forward Mitch Brown, young guns lead Parkdale Vultures to victory

The ex-AFL forward fired off 9.7 in the Vultures’ mammoth 29.22 (196) to 3.5 (23) win over Glen Eira.

Despite the spearhead having 16 shots on goal – including four of the first five behinds of the match – Lalor was most pleased by the humility of Brown.

“It was a funny game because he was very team orientated, it was his first game with the boys, he didn’t play a practice game,” he said.

“He was just terrific, he’s got a leadership role and he guided and instructed them, it was like he was coaching on the field.

“And then we got to watch him play … that’s what we’ve been looking forward to.

“It was really nice to watch how smart he is, he really thinks a couple of kicks away – it’s really clever.

“He’s well invested, a beautiful guy, he’s very humble, that’s the word: humble.

“There’s no ego, he’s just humble and supporting of his younger teammates

“There’s no carry on with him, he’s quietly spoken, goes about his business but he’s encouraging.”

Lalor – who has been at the helm since 2018 – believes Brown has become a Vulture at the perfect time, as the green shoots of the club are starting to blossom.

“Going back to 2021, we were struggling to get an under-19s team, our reserves forfeited four games, the senior side was in B Grade getting beaten up,” he said.

“We were just young and skinny and the kids have just stayed together, the 18 to 20 year olds stayed together and now they’re 23, 24 and we’re just more mature.

“We’ve got a group of players that have now played 50-70 games of senior footy together – he’s (Brown) come at the right time.

“He’s come at the perfect time to add to this group that’s really ready to have a crack at something special together.”

Young stars Olly Green and Jack Cheap were excellent, as were Harry Kilfoyle, Jack Vorbach, Charlie Yee, Lewis Castle and Joshua Ricco.

The even spread of talent has led Lalor to have a clear-cut expectation for 2024.

“Obviously we’re ready,” he said.

“We finished fourth last year, won our first semi-final over PEGS and then Camberwell got us in the second half of the prelim.

“But we’re ready to do the same thing, our clear expectation is to play finals this year – that’s a no-brainer – we’re expecting to play finals.

“Whatever happens after that, who knows, you need to keep a healthy list at C Grade level … six, seven injuries, a couple overseas.

“But if we have a bit of luck and keep a healthy list, we certainly expect to play top-four footy again.”

The Vultures take on fellow round 1 winner Hampton Rovers this weekend.

Originally published as VAFA: Ex-AFL forward Mitch Brown, young guns lead Parkdale Vultures to victory