HAILING from the West Broken Hill Robins Football Club, Stuart Bown had already made his A Grade debut as a 15-year-old and played 49 games for the Broken Hill club.
Broken Hill was then in the Norwood zone and former Redleg Matthew Kelly, who was then the technical and development officer, enticed him to move to Adelaide.
The love of the pigskin was always in Bown’s veins, as his dad Dale was a member of the Robins’ premierships in the 1978 and 1980.
Bown started with West as a youngster, enjoying continual success at junior grades, from under 11s through to under 17s.
He commended the strong junior footballer mentors he had in the Silver City including Wayne Walker, Colin Tonkin, and at representative level, Brian Eddy from the Bulldogs.
He also played one senior representative game for the Broken Hill association, ironically alongside Essendon 2000 premiership player Dean Solomon.
“I loved growing up in the Hill,” Bown explained.
“Being involved in basketball and skateboarding, along with my football.
“I always wanted to finish my Year 12 studies at Broken Hill High before going to Adelaide.”
By the time he was recruited by Norwood, he’d already experienced the rigours of senior country football, which set him up for a stellar career.
A tall and strongly built 194cm (6’3”) 91-kilo key position player – and one of the most likable blokes off the field – Stuart Bown played predominantly at either centre half forward, centre half back or as an undersized ruck.
In 1997, Bown played a key role in a premiership side for Norwood’s under 19s, as well as being named as that grade’s best and fairest.
In the Reserves the following season, he performed the double once again, playing in another premiership and winning the best and fairest award in the SANFL seconds.
Bown made his league debut for the Redlegs on the same day as his good mate, Yorke Peninsula lad Matthew Dawes, against the Central District Bulldogs at Elizabeth Oval in round three of the 1999 season, on April 17.
Unfortunately, a broken leg against Glenelg soon after ruled him out for the rest of the season.
His form with Norwood – and obvious potential – saw him added to the Adelaide Crows Rookie List in 2000.
He was elevated to the senior list in 2001 and made his AFL debut in round six for the Crows against Hawthorn at York Park in Launceston, Tasmania.
His second AFL game the next week, against Fremantle at Football Park was a 15 possession, four-mark, one goal performance.
Bown played two more AFL matches against Richmond and the Brisbane Lions, before being delisted at the end of that winter.
Bown initially retired from the SANFL at the end of the 2008 season, having played 168 senior matches.
He had the entire 2009 season off.
Bown resumed his SANFL career in 2010 and was a member of the side that suffered a heartbreaking narrow six-point loss in a tense and exciting grand final to Central District.
He played his final game for the Redlegs, his landmark 200th league match in the 2011 preliminary final loss to eventual premiers that year Woodville-West Torrens.
