Dave Brown
Centre
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2010
- Date of Birth:
- 04 April 1913
- Birthplace:
- Kogarah, NSW
- Nickname:
- The Bradman of Rugby League, Brownie
- Debut Team:
- Eastern Suburbs
- Date:
- 09 August 1930
- Opposition:
- St George
- Venue:
- Earl Park, Arncliffe
- Representative:
- 1 game for NSW City Seconds, 4 games for NSW City Firsts, 2 games as Captain for City Firsts, 19 Interstate games for NSW, 10 Interstate games as Captain for NSW, 12 Test Matches for Australia, 6 Test Matches as captain for Australia
- Clubs:
- Eastern Suburbs (1930 - 1936, 1939 - 1941), Warrington (1936 - 1939)
Career
Milestones
- Youngest Player to Captain Australia; Age 22 (1935)
- Premiership Record for Most Points in a Game; 45 (1935)
- Premiership Record for Most Tries in a Season; 38 (1935)
- Roosters Point Scoring Record Holder (1935 – 1977)
- Roosters Point Scoring Record Holder (1941 – 1972)
- NSW Hall of Champions; 1930s (1979)
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame (1986)
- Sydney Roosters Team of the Century (2000)
- International Rugby League Hall of Fame (2003)
- NRL Hall of Fame (2003)
- Australian Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players (2007)
- NSW Team of the Century (2008)
- NSW Ruby League Hall of Fame (2017)
- Rugby League Immortal (2018)
Biography
Dave Brown, Sydney Rooster #202, is well known as one of Easts most prolific point scorers and is referred to as the ‘Bradman of League’. He played 94 games for the Tricolours between 1930 and 1941 and coached the Club on 84 occasions.
After debuting for Easts in 1930, Brown suffered from a rare illness and in 1931 lost all his hair. He donned a leather headgear that became his trademark and dominated Rugby League both for the Roosters and for Australia.
Hall Of Fame | Dave Brown
Brown still holds the record for most tries scored in a season with 38, en route to the Club's 5th Premiership in 1935. He was the youngest player to captain Australia, at only 22 years old.
Following his esteemed career on the field, Brown took over the head coaching role in 1943, before returning for three seasons between 1957-1959.
Following retirement, the unofficial award for man of the match in the Grand Final was the Dave Brown Medallion until 1986 where it was renamed the Clive Churchill Medal.
He was named in the Australian Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players in 2007 and the New South Wales Team of the Century in 2008, before becoming a Rugby League Immortal in 2018.
"Brownie is one of those fellows whom it is impossible to convince of his own greatness."
Viv Thicknesse Former teammate
Hall of Fame Members
Sydney Roosters respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
