But against Geelong at the Gabba in 2011 he knew he'd erred as soon as he ran back with the flight of the ball to mark a Jed Adcock kick.
"I made a mistake," Brown told the AFL Record ahead of his 250th game, against Richmond at the Gabba on Thursday night.
"I misjudged a ball at a critical time of the game. I didn't want to make a statement, but kick a goal for the team. I misjudged a high ball that I've (marked) hundreds of times in my career (and) got to the ball late. My last thought was ‘Gee, I'm going to be a bit short here’, but at that stage it was too late to pull out.
"The next I knew I woke up in hospital."
Brown had run into the elbow of teammate Mitch Clark, who was steaming towards the ball in the other direction with his opponent Harry Taylor.
The result was the second of three terrible facial injuries for Brown in the space of 12 months.
He returned the following year, and despite the spate of injuries and rugged way he's played the game since being drafted in 1999, he’s still going. On Thursday, he will move to No. 8 on the Lions’ game played list (with 580 goals under his belt).
Brown had three premierships before his 22nd birthday, but has marched on through some lean times in the past decade.
He knows his best years are well behind him, but the champion forward wants to finish by helping lift the young Lions from the doldrums.
"It's extremely tough and frustrating and obviously injuries take their toll," he said.
"I'd love to move like I did when I was 21, it's not through choice. If I wasn't enjoying the game and the club was iffy about me being around, I wouldn't be out here playing.
"I'm proud of the fact I've been able to keep going."
Read the full feature in the round five edition of the AFL Record.
