David Brown (rugby league)

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Dave Brown

Personal information
Full name	Dave Michael Brown
Date of birth	1913
Place of birth	Hurstville, Australia
Date of death	1974
Senior clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (points)
1930-1936 1937-1938 1939-1941	Eastern Suburbs Warrington Eastern Suburbs
Representative teams
1930-1936 1933-1936	New South Wales Australia	19 (120) 9 (73)
* Professional club appearances and points counted for domestic first grade only.

David Michael Brown (born on the 4th of April, 1913 in Kogarah, New South Wales, died on the 23rd of February, 1974 in Sydney) was one of Australia’s greatest rugby league footballers.

Brown in his distinctive headgear was said to be one of the most admired sights in the game during the 1930s. He scored so many points, tries and goals and established so many records (some will never be bettered) that he is referred to as 'the Bradman of league'.

As a child Brown lost the top of his thumb in a lawn-mowing accident. While playing football at school he badly broke an arm, dislocating the elbow and causing severe nerve damage which cost him the use of two fingers on his right hand. Despite these setbacks Brown was an all-round sportsman - an A-grade tennis player, champion junior surfer and a representative cricketer. Brown attended Sydney’s Waverley College under the tuition of Arthur Hennessy, Australia's first ever rugby league test Captain, who was the school sporting coach at the time.

The powerfully built centre joined the Eastern Suburbs club straight out of school. After just a handful of lower grade games Brown was promoted to the top grade. The following year aged just 18 Brown was selected to represent his state – NSW in 3 interstate matches against Queensland. Soon after the teenager lost all his hair after contracting a virus while swimming and took to wearing a hairpiece to cover his baldness.

By the beginning of the 1932 season, Brown, aged just 19 years and 12 days, was named captain of the Eastern Suburbs club. The following year Brown was selected to tour England with the 1933/34 Kangaroos. On the boat trip over, one of his team mates, unable to stand the sight of Brown's hairpiece any longer, tossed it out one of the ships portholes, Causing him to begin wearing his almost trademark like head gear. On the tour he played in 32 matches, including all 3 tests and scored an incredible 285 points coming from 19 tries 114 goals. In an exhibition match between England and Australia, the first rugby league game played on (snow covered) French soil, Brown scored 6 tries and kicked 9 goals for a total of 36 points.

Once home in Sydney, Brown led one the greatest club sides of all time, that year they lost to Western Suburbs in the premiership decider but The following Season - 1935, Easts lost just 1 match as they captured there 5th premiership, the following year they again took out the title, this time finishing the season undefeated. At the end of the 1936 season Brown accepted an offer from English rugby league club, Warrington, a 4 year deal worth 1,000 pounds for the first season.

Brown played 93 matches for the Warrington Wolves, scoring 326 points – 48 tries and 91 goals. In a cup semi final against St Helens Brown kicked what he considers to be his finest goal, it is recounted this way.

"with the scores locked at 2-all in the dying moments Warrington were awarded a penalty near the touch-line and five-yards on their own side of half-way, Brown took the shot, guiding it between the posts to give Warrington a 4-2 win and a spot in the Cup final."

But Brown never enjoyed quiet the same level of success in England, he bought out the final year of his contract and returned to home.

Once home Brown rejoined the Eastern Suburbs club, playing in the remaining matches of the 1939 season. In 1940 with Dave Brown appointed as captain and coach of the side, Easts finished the year at the top of the league ladder and despite losing brown with a leg injury, managed to capture yet another premiership. 1941 was to be Brown's last season, Easts again finished first at the end of the regular season but went down to St George in the decider. Brown, only 29 announced his retirement following the match.

After his retirement from the game Brown took up a position as the games liaison officer, promoting rugby league in schools. He also spent time coaching and promoting the game in South Africa

The 1935 season was Brown's best. In just 15 club matches he played that year, he scored 244 points(38 tries, 65 goals). The 38 tries record still stands. The only other person to more than 30 tries in a season was Newtown winger Ray Preston who scored 34 tries in the 1954 season. In the 1st round match againstCanterbury-Bankstown that year he scored a premiership record 45 points (5 tries, 15 goals), his 15 goals in that match also stands as the premiership record for the most goals in a match. In the second round match against Canterbury-Bankstown he scored a further 38 points(6 tries, 10 goals), which stands as the record for the second most points in a premiership match. He recorded further records when in round 16 he scored 26(4 tries, 7 goals) against North Sydney then in round 18 against Balmain he notched up a further 32 points, coming from 6 tries and 7 goals. In September, at the record young age of just 22 yearsand 117 days Brown was named as the Australian captain, and led his country to a series victory over New Zealand. The point scoring wizard amassed 385 points that year (incorporating all Eastern Suburbs and representative matches).

Dave Brown ‘The Bradman Of League’ died from cancer in 1974, he is survived by just a sister, a nephew and his records.

[edit] Accolades

Brown is a member of the Australian rugby league Hall of Fame. Up until 1986 the award for the best player in the Grand Final each year was known as the Dave Brown Medal and Brown has been named in the centres, alongside Dally Messenger in Eastern Suburbs greatest team since the club's inception in 1908.

In February 2008, Brown was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. ^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
• Rugby League 1908 Dave Brown profile
• Sydney Roosters 100 Year Celebrations profile
• David Brown at the Online Dictionary of Australian Biographiies

v • d • e National Rugby League top points scorers 1908 Horrie Miller • 1909 Arthur Conlin • 1910 Dally Messenger • 1911 Dally Messenger • 1912 Dally Messenger • 1913 Harold Horder • 1914 Harold Horder • 1915 Wally Messenger • 1916 Charles Fraser • 1917 Charles Fraser • 1918 Harold Horder • 1919 A McPherson • 1920 Frank Burge • 1921 Rex Norman • 1922 Harold Horder • 1923 Arthur Oxford • 1924 Jack Courtney • 1925 Benny Wearing • 1926 Jack Courtney • 1927 Alf Blair • 1928 Benny Wearing • 1929 Jim Craig • 1930 Jim Craig • 1931 Jack Lynch • 1932 Les Mead • 1933 Syd Christensen • 1934 Dave Brown • 1935 Dave Brown • 1936 Syd Christensen • 1937 Jack Beaton • 1938 Tom Kirk • 1939 Neville Smith • 1940 Tom Kirk • 1941 Neville Smith • 1942 Ray Lindwall • 1943 Tom Kirk • 1944 Tom Kirk • 1945 Dick Dunn • 1946 Tom Kirk • 1947 Pat Devery • 1948 Jack Lindwall • 1949 Bill Keato • 1950 Bill Keato • 1951 Ron Rowles • 1952 Ron Rowles • 1953 Ron Rowles • 1954 Ron Rowles • 1955 Doug Fleming • 1956 Doug Fleming • 1957 Darcy Russell • 1958 Harry Bath • 1959 Darcy Russell • 1960 Brian Graham • 1961 Bob Landers • 1962 Don Parish • 1963 Fred Griffiths • 1964 Fred Griffiths • 1965 Fred Griffiths • 1966 Bob Lanigan • 1967 Eric Simms • 1968 Eric Simms • 1969 Eric Simms • 1970 Eric Simms • 1971 Graeme Langlands • 1972 Allan McKean • 1973 Graeme Langlands • 1974 Graham Eadie • 1975 Graham Eadie • 1976 Graham Eadie • 1977 Michael Cronin • 1978 Michael Cronin • 1979 Michael Cronin • 1980 Steve Gearin • 1981 Steve Rogers • 1982 Michael Cronin • 1983 Michael Eden • 1984 Steve Gearin • 1985 Michael Cronin • 1986 Terry Lamb • 1987 Ross Conlon • 1988 Gary Belcher • 1989 Andy Currier & Ricky Walford • 1990 Mal Meninga • 1991 Daryl Halligan • 1992 Daryl Halligan • 1993 Daryl Halligan • 1994 Daryl Halligan • 1995 Matthew Ridge • 1996 Jason Taylor • 1997 Jason Taylor & Ryan Girdler • 1998 Ivan Cleary • 1999 Matt Geyer • 2000 Joel Caine • 2001 Andrew Johns & Ben Walker • 2002 Hazem El Masri • 2003 Hazem El Masri • 2004 Hazem El Masri • 2005 Brett Hodgson • 2006 Hazem El Masri • 2007 Hazem El Masri

v • d • e National Rugby League top try scorers 1908 Horrie Miller • 1909 Tommy Anderson • 1910 Arthur McCabe • 1911 Dave Garlick • 1912 Roy Algie • 1913 Harold Horder • 1914 Harold Horder • 1915 Frank Burge • 1916 Frank Burge • 1917 Harold Horder • 1918 Frank Burge • 1919 Gordon Wright • 1920 Gordon Wright • 1921 Gordon Wright • 1922 Cecil Blinkhorn • 1923 Herman Peters • 1924 Tommy Kennedy • 1925 Benny Wearing • 1926 Benny Wearing • 1927 Benny Wearing • 1928 Tony Redmond • 1929 Alan Brady • 1930 Morrie Boyle • 1931 Jack Lynch • 1932 Alan Ridley • 1933 Jack Gray-Spence • 1934 Dave Brown, Fred Gardner & Vic Hey • 1935 Dave Brown • 1936 Fred Tottey • 1937 Fred Tottey • 1938 Don Manson • 1939 Sid Goodwin • 1940 Jack Lindwall • 1941 Percy Dermond & Sel Lisle • 1942 Jack Lindwall • 1943 C "Kelly" McMahon • 1944 Sid Goodwin • 1945 Chicka Cahill & Jack Snare • 1946 Jack Lindwall • 1947 Bob Lulham • 1948 Norm Jacobson • 1949 Ron Roberts • 1950 Jack Troy • 1951 John Graves • 1952 Peter O'Brien • 1953 Ian Moir • 1954 Ray Preston • 1955 Brian Allsop & Ian Moir • 1956 Tommy Ryan • 1957 Tommy Ryan • 1958 Eddie Lumsden • 1959 Ken Irvine • 1960 Reg Gasnier • 1961 Johnny King • 1962 Eddie Lumsden • 1963 Reg Gasnier • 1964 Reg Gasnier • 1965 Johnny King • 1966 Ken Irvine • 1967 Les Hanigan • 1968 Stan Gorton • 1969 Ken Irvine • 1970 Ken Irvine • 1971 Paul Cross • 1972 Bob Fulton • 1973 Bob Fulton • 1974 Kevin Junee & Bill Mullins • 1975 Johnny Mayes • 1976 Bob Fulton • 1977 Russel Gartner • 1978 Larry Corowa • 1979 Mitch Brennan & Tom Mooney • 1980 John Ribot & Wayne Wigham • 1981 Terry Fahey • 1982 Steve Ella • 1983 Phil Blake • 1984 Terry Lamb & Steve Morris • 1985 Steve Linnane • 1986 Phil Blake & Garry Schofield • 1987 Terry Lamb • 1988 John Ferguson • 1989 Gary Belcher • 1990 Mal Meninga • 1991 Alan McIndoe • 1992 Mark Bell & Tim Brasher • 1993 Noa Nadruku • 1994 Steve Renouf • 1995 Steven Menzies • 1996 Noa Nadruku • 1997 Terry Hill & Mathew Ryan • 1998 Darren Smith • 1999 Nathan Blacklock • 2000 Nathan Blacklock • 2001 Nathan Blacklock • 2002 Nigel Vagana • 2003 Rhys Wesser • 2004 Amos Roberts • 2005 Matt Bowen • 2006 Nathan Merritt • 2007 Matt Bowen

v • d • e Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame Inductees 2002 Clive Churchill • Reg Gasnier • Johnny Raper • Graeme Langlands • Bob Fulton • Wally Lewis 2003 Dally Messenger • Dave Brown • Wally Prigg • Keith Holman • Arthur Beetson • Mal Meninga 2004 Harry Bath • Norm Provan • Ken Irvine • Harold Horder • Frank Burge • Vic Hey 2005 Jimmy Craig • Chris McKivat • Duncan Thompson • Brian Bevan • Brian Carlson • Ron Coote 2006 Ken Kearney • Sid (Sandy) Pearce • Charles Fraser • George Treweek • Duncan Hall • Peter Sterling 2007 Arthur Halloway • Tom Gorman • Joe Pearce • Harry Wells • Keith Barnes • Mick Cronin