by Daragh Ó Conchúir

Former Derry underage star, Callum Brown has been promoted to the senior squad of AFL side, GWS Giants, in his first season as an Aussie rules footballer and a week before he turns 19.

Since recovering from a groin injury that delayed his start, Brown has been a rampaging presence in the Giants’ reserves as they close in on a place in the NEAFL Finals.

After starting in attack, he has been causing havoc as a counter-attacking half-back with his near unique combination of elite speed and size.

His promotion from the category B rookie list to the primary list comes in place of long-term injury victim Matthew Flynn, and follows another excellent display for the reserves last weekend, where he had 18 disposals, seven marks, two tackles and a goal.

“Besides kicking another absurdly good goal from the backline, he had a really great game in his balance of offense and defence” said reserves head coach, Adam Schneider afterwards.

“Sydney tried to keep him deep to keep him out of the play which is a credit to him. Some of the defensive stuff was fantastic and what we’d been asking for. He keeps on growing each week which hopefully gives him the best opportunity to play AFL in the future.”

Brown is the Giants’ first venture into the Irish market and earlier this week, he revealed a conversation he had with Leon Cameron, which indicated the senior head coach’s interest in the stunning development of the teenager, who won’t be 19 until next Thursday.

“Leon talked to me and he said he can see that I’m improving and that he didn’t expect me to be doing what I’m doing right now, but that I need to make sure I’m working as hard as I can to be as good as I can, not in the future but right now” said Brown.

Join the hoganstand.com match tracker this weekend for live coverage of the All-Ireland football semi-finals.

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