Brand, after recently captaining Victoria Country’s under-16 side, made the leap alongside his Bears teammate against a strong Dandenong Stingrays side, which reinforced that billing with a 14.8 (92) to 5.4 (34) victory over the hosts on the back of a five-goal to one-behind first quarter.
But fierce competition breeds opportunity at the elite development level, according to coach Mark Brown.
“From our end, it was a real opportunity,” Brown said.
“Some people will scoff at that, but you don't often get the opportunity to play a Coates Talent League metropolitan side that's fully stacked this time of year.
“They just got a real education on how fast the game is at this level, how hard you've got to work, how well you've got to retain the ball when you're in possession.
“We thought our boys competed really hard — they had 70 tackles, so their effort couldn't be questioned.”
Numurkah’s Harry Moon earned praise from Brown for his performance down back, while Shepparton Swans’ Flynn Grumley was industrious with 22 disposals and nine clearances.
Mellington (16 disposals) was employed across half-back, while Brand capped a 17-disposal showing with a sharp left-foot snap from the Skene St pocket to snag his first top-age goal.
“I thought Harry Moon was back to his best,” Brown said.
“He was down against GWV the week before, but I thought he rebounded really well, defended well, halved most of his 1v1 contests, and took a nice mark at the end of the game.
“I thought (Jack) Mellington was good in his debut; he showed some class and some poise and he'll be much better for the run.
“Usually at this time of year it'd be a bit of a soft landing and then you get an opportunity to play against a side that was probably slightly diluted, but that wasn't the case.
“He copped the Coates Talent League right between the eyes and I thought he stood up quite well.”
Brand’s star continues to rise amid a shift in thinking from further up the chain, with Brown explaining the chance for players to prove themselves sooner could be increasing.
“He’s essentially a bottom-bottom-ager as a 16-year-old,” Brown said.
“There’s been a little bit of a shift in policy from the AFL about exposing your 16-year-olds earlier.
“Usually, they keep them out until after (the national carnival), but they've decided that if you've got them and they’re at the standard, you're encouraged to roll them through.
“So, we introduced Linc and we threw him straight into the fire … I thought he certainly looked at the level, so he should take a lot of confidence out of that.”
The Murray Bushrangers girls also tasted defeat at Deakin, surrendering an 11-point half-time lead in a hard-fought clash.
The Bushies defended gallantly in the last quarter, but a goal to the Stingrays with three minutes to play was enough to hold on for an eight-point win.
Nathalia’s Claudia Plattfuss was named in the best yet again for the Bushies, who will look to reload against Calder Cannons in Wangaratta after a bye.
The AFL Under-18 National Championships also resume this Sunday with the Victoria Country and South Australia clash at Marvel Stadium.
The Bushies have five players in the squad, including Shepparton United’s Riley Onley and Tanner Armstrong, who have been away on APS school football duties for Scotch College.
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