An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative forward, he played his club football in the Brisbane Rugby League for the Souths Logan Magpies under the coaching of Wayne Bennett.
After finishing his career with Easts at the end of the 1986 NSWRL season (after having only played 12 games over the course of 1985 and 1986), Brown ventured to England where he joined Hull F.C.
Dave Brown played at prop in Hull FC's 24–31 defeat by Castleford in the 1986 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1986–87 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 11 October 1986.
After returning to Australia, Brown played in the Western Australian Rugby League in Perth as Captain-coach of the Belmont Steelers in 1988–90.
Brown's teammates at Leichhardt that night included Centre pairing Mal Meninga and Chris Close, Halfback Ross Strudwick, Test Hooker John Lang, while on the interchange bench was a young Lock forward named Wally Lewis.