It hasn’t been the easiest start to the football year for Luke Brown.

An injured left ankle cost him a chunk of his 2019 pre-season, limiting his ability to complete the drills.

Then, just weeks before the season started, the medical staff opted for surgery and Brown was ruled out for two months.

Dejected, the 26-year-old was forced to watch the opening rounds from the sidelines.

Not the sidelines of Adelaide Oval, however, but those of the Crows’ SANFL side.

Brown has taken up a boundary line role with the SANFL team to improve his leadership qualities and understanding of the game.

“It was a good opportunity to see the game from the coaching side,” Brown told AFC Media.

“I can see the game a lot better from the sidelines, it’s been helpful for me (and) wanted to develop my leadership a bit.”

Brown has been on the boundary for all three of the Crows SANFL games this season, tasked with relaying information from the coach’s box to the players.

“I’ve started picking up little things that I wouldn’t have before,” he said.

“It’s just reading the mood of the group and the structure of the game.”

Although Brown has taken on a role with the State League team, he said his immediate focus was still on playing.

“Not too sure on coaching (after retiring),” he said.

“I’m just focussing on playing footy at the moment, hopefully I’ve got a fair bit longer until then.”

Brown is expected to return to senior football in the next three to four weeks.