NOW retired Brisbane Lions superstar Jonathan Brown has been lauded by coach Paul Roos.

Roos said Brown, who retired earlier in the week after a stellar career with the Brisbane Lions, was an enormous figure in the AFL.  

“There was always a lot of planning going into Brisbane in those halcyon years of ’01, ’02 and ’03 – their midfield was fantastic and probably got most of the credit,” he said on Dee TV’s Roos’ Views.

“Their forward line of [Alastair] Lynch, [Daniel] Bradshaw and Browny was pretty formidable. I think we underestimate that part of Browny’s [game] – his work rate.

“Everyone talks about him being big, strong and courageous – which he absolutely is – but I reckon his greatest asset was his running. For a 102kg guy that is six-foot-five, his running capacity was the thing that our players always talked about [like] Craig Bolton and Lewis Roberts-Thomson.”

“What’s made it so hard for them to play on is that he ran – he had a great aerobic capacity and really good skills. He was good below at ground level and good above his head. His longevity and his ability to impact games over a long period of time were exceptional.”

Roos said Brown was a universally admired player, which was a great quality to have once finished from the game.

“He was very, very popular amongst his peers and he was probably universally liked,” he said.

“Not many players get to the end of their career and a Collingwood fan will say ‘gee, I loved Jonathan Brown’, along with a Sydney fan and a Melbourne fan. That was the guy he was, everyone respected the way he played and good luck to him.

“He’s made a really smart decision for him and his family and his long-term future.”