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 following year aged just eighteen Brown was selected to represent his state – New South Wales in 3 interstate matches against Queensland.

At the beginning of the 1932 season, aged just nineteen years and twelve days, Brown was named captain of the Eastern Suburbs club.

On the boat trip over one of his teammates, unable to stand the sight of Brown's hairpiece any longer, tossed it out one of the ship's portholes, causing him to begin wearing his trademark headgear.

What make his records all the more impressive is that during the 1934, 1935 and 1936 seasons Brown was not the only goalkicker at the club, with teammate Jack Beaton taking many of the easier shots for goal.

On 28 September 1935, at just 22 years and 177 days Brown was named as the youngest ever Australian captain, and led his country to a series victory over New Zealand.

[7] Brown played at centre and scored 2-tries in Warrington's 8–4 victory over Barrow in the 1937–38 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1937–38 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 23 October 1937.

He also spent time coaching and promoting the game in South Africa Dave Brown 'The Bradman of League' died from cancer in 1974, 40 days before his 61st birthday.