ESSENDON recruit Mitch Brown says his time as a top-up player for the Bombers during last season’s NAB Challenge laid the foundations for his outstanding year that culminated in being drafted by the club.

Delisted by Geelong at the end of 2014 after only 15 matches, Brown doubted whether he would get another chance at the elite level.

But when the opportunity arose to join Essendon for its pre-season campaign while 25 players who were at the club during the 2012 supplements program sat out to protect the anonymity of the players provisionally suspended following ASADA’s probe, Brown saw an opportunity to win himself another shot.

He says the pre-season games, in which he was a standout, allowed him to show he’s still capable of playing at the elite level, while at the same time laying the foundations for what would be an outstanding and eye-catching season for Sandringham in the VFL.

“Being delisted I knew it was going to be pretty tough but I felt like I had a pretty solid year obviously playing with Essendon in the NAB Cup and that gave me a lot of confidence going into the year,” Brown said.

“That NAB Cup period was a great opportunity for all us top-up players to show the recruiters that we could still play at that level.

“That definitely gave me a lot of confidence going into the season for Sandy.”

Brown, 25, played at both ends for this year’s VFL preliminary finalists but excelled particularly as a forward during the finals series

Since his arrival at Essendon, however, the 196cm sinwgman has been groomed for a role down back.

“I’ve been training with the backline mainly. I feel pretty comfortable there, I’m loving it,” Brown told RSN on Monday morning.

“I’m happy playing at either end of the ground, I feel pretty comfortable playing at both ends. “I’m happy to play wherever the coach wants me.”

During his four weeks at Essendon as a top-up player, Brown played under James Hird but returns to begin his official journey with Essendon under new coach John Worsfold.

Uniquely, unlike fellow draftees including prized top 10 selections Darcy Parish and Aaron Francis and fellow mature-ager Michael Hartley, Brown can already see the changes implemented by the former West Coast coach.

“We want to be more attacking. We want to score a lot more, that’s the main thing I’ve noticed,” Brown said.

“He’s set the high standards that he wants the group to perform and train at, so he’s really driving that at the moment. He’s been fantastic for me.”