Geelong defender Tom Lonergan admits Brisbane captain Jonathan Brown's collision injury makes him reflect on the potentially disastrous consequences a similar incident could hold for him.

Lonergan, who lost a kidney in 2006 as a result of a horrible internal injury suffered backing into a marking contest, was playing on Brown last weekend when the Lions forward had his face fractured for the second time this season flying for a mark.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't," Lonergan said of the memories brought up by Brown's injury.

"If something of the magnitude that happened to me was to happen again, I guess I would be in a fair bit of trouble."

But the Cats defender, who overcame that serious setback in just the seventh game of his career and has now played 67 AFL games, believes there are ways to limit the potential damage.

"You still don't want to get caught out where you're half going, half not and then that's played over in the news, 'You didn't go' and that's how you're sort of branded, you don't want to be looked at like that.

"But I do think there's ways you can do it a bit more smart, I reckon, different ways to turn your body and not get caught in that situation.

"But footy's so fast and so intense these days, sometimes you don't have time, but if you do have a bit of time to think about - if I can do anything differently - I think you certainly do that."

Lonergan acknowledged the threat of being highlighted in the media prompted players to throw their bodies into dangerous situations.

"Every footballer doesn't want to have that sort of stigma against their name," he said.

"The public have got to respect how hard you hit bodies these days.

"It's so intense and some of the injuries that have happened over the past few years have just been incredible. You've just got to be careful."

Lonergan said he admired Brown's unflinching style, but suggested the inspirational Lion might have to change his approach slightly.

"My take on it was maybe he could have had a bit more awareness of the other forwards in the forward line," he said.

"He's just so courageous and just watches the footy and it's hard to change, but that may have to be something that he looks at in the future."

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