Brown was back on the track almost as soon as his first season ended to give himself the best possible preparation for his second year with the Swans in 2013.
Instead of a more conventional training program, the 19-year-old joined reserves coach Jared Crouch and team mate Jed Lamb on a Premiership Quarter biking tour through Burma, in south-east Asia.
The trio, who were joined by a group of six other riders from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, covered over 450km on their 12-day journey through the Burmese terrain.
“We started off pretty easy on the bike ride and I wasn’t really expecting too much to be honest and was open-minded going into it,” Brown told sydneyswans.com.au.
“I hadn’t been on a road bike for five years and all I had been doing was stationary (riding) downstairs in the gym, but it didn’t really take long to get back into it.
“We started off the bike ride with a 20km trek and I got through the ride and really enjoyed it even though my arse got a bit sore!
“But Lamby and I pushed ourselves pretty hard over the journey and got through it and it was really worth it.”
In addition to the fitness benefits, Brown’s trip to Burma instilled him with a new sense of confidence.
Working with Crouch, Brown said he gained a new understanding of team work and was also able to work on his leadership skills.
“Crouchy really helped me through it. With the team work stuff he pushed me along and told me what to do and really taught me how to help people,” he said.
“There were people in our group who obviously struggled more than me and were a lot older and not as fit, and I helped push them along as well.
“When I started, I was a bit shy but as it went on I got a lot more out of it and as the relationships grew, I started feeling more comfortable and confident.
“I really think the experience helped my leadership skills as well and took me right out of my comfort zone.”
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| Jed Lamb, Alex Brown and Jared Crouch with some of the Burmese locals |
Since his return from Burma, Brown has returned to the club and has begun an early pre-season alongside fellow young Swans Gary Rohan and Tom Mitchell.
Brown’s focus this pre-season is to try to match with the club’s best, after hip injuries prevented him from completing a full-preseason 12 months ago.
“I’ve been looking forward to pre-season since the season finished last year, and I know that sounds crazy,” he said.
“I arrived to the club on crutches last year and was on them for a couple of weeks and then I pretty much started my pre-season as the rest of the guys were starting their practice matches.
“This year I got myself a bit of a head start after going on the trip, so I really want to push myself now and when everyone gets back hopefully I’m really ahead of the pack.”
After a frustrating year which saw the young defender miss a number of weeks of football with ongoing injuries, a now fit Brown said he is firmly focused on marking his mark in 2013.
“I just want to get my body right,” he said.
“I really want to prove myself and I’m going to push myself this year.
“A major area I need to improve is my strength and my core strength and being able to contest the ball amongst those bigger bodies.
“I need to also improve on my tank and ensure my skills are also up to AFL level, but I think they will come from working with Crouchy and the development team and hopefully I’ll get there.”
