As the AFL universe contemplates head injuries and the risks that players take to make a living, the feted former forward Jonathan Brown has spoken to what he views as a core truth about the AFL: that the game's appeal rests heavily on physical confrontation and collisions.

Brown, who estimated he had 10 to 12 concussions in the course of his playing career, counting juniors, said the game's allure was that fans wanted to see players engage "in a physically violent manner'' and that people should be honest about this reality.

Former Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown after a clash during a match against Carlton in 2009. Credit:Joe Armao

"That's the allure of the game – it's the Colosseum. We're going to see men – women now – we're going to see do battle in a physically violent manner,'' Brown, a triple premiership centre half-forward with the Brisbane Lions, told The Age at Fox Footy's season launch.

"That's the core of it. We're going to see great skills, but essentially we love the contact... crowds will always demand that. We have to be honest... the major appeal, beyond the great skills, is the confrontation and physical acts of the players... all those sorts of things.''