Bradshaw ready to haunt former AFL team
There isn't much that bothers Jonathan Brown but the bad blood surrounding Daniel Bradshaw's off-season move to Sydney is enough to make the even the Brisbane Lions colossus uncomfortable.
Bradshaw takes on his old club for the first time since shifting south to the Swans in Saturday night's top of the table clash at the SCG.
Lions coach Michael Voss's pursuit of troubled Carlton sharpshooter Brendan Fevola at the end of last year effectively shut the door on Bradshaw finishing his career in Brisbane.
It was tough enough for Bradshaw, 31, being offered up as trade bait to the Blues, after 222 games for the Lions and being the club's record goalkicker.
That it was Voss, the captain of Bradshaw's two premiership teams in 2001 and 2003, pulling the strings must have made it an especially bitter pill.
Normally before a match against his old club, a footballer is bombarded with text messages from former teammates.
That has not been the case this week for Bradshaw, who was picked up by Sydney in the pre-season draft.
"I have not actually spoken to anyone this week, players, coaches, anyone (from the Lions)," Bradshaw said on Wednesday.
"So I will be hoping to catch up with a few of the players after the match."
As for catching up with Voss, he added: "I don't think so".
Brown and Bradshaw developed a close friendship playing together at the Lions for the past decade, spending much of that time leading Brisbane's lethal forward line.
"It is the business of football unfortunately, and obviously, I can't really comment about it too much because I am still at the same football club," Brown said of Bradshaw's move.
"My feelings are still the same, but obviously for Braddy, it is a little bit different."
Both Fevola and Bradshaw have made excellent starts at their new clubs, but Brown wasn't ready to say whether the Swans or the Lions had come out best from the wheeling and dealing.
"I am not comfortable answering that," he said before pausing.
"At the end of the day, I think both clubs have benefited from it.
"So who is there and who is not? We can argue about that all day long and I know footy fans will argue about that, but at the end of the day, both players are playing well for both clubs.
"Braddy is a close mate of mine.
"At the end of the day, I am just happy that he is playing good footy."
But Bradshaw believed that with time, there could be a thawing in relations between him and the Lions.
When asked if he would attend any 10-year reunion for the 2001 premiership side next year, he said: "I think so, it has been six or seven months since it happened and when is the reunion, next year.
"I have another 12 months, I think I will feel comfortable to go to those things.
"It is obviously a big occasion for the club, so I would like to feel I can go to those reunions."
Next year's reunion could prove to be very interesting as will Saturday night's in Sydney.
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