An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative three-quarter back, he played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership for Sydney's Western Suburbs club.
[1] The son of a subject of the Austro Hungarian Empire (from Draga, Rijeka in what is now Croatia[3]) immigrant, Vest was born Gregorio Richard Vest (original father’s name- Francesco Vecerina)in the country New South Wales town of Barmedman.
Following the death of his father in a mine accident, Vest and his two older brothers were sent to a boys home in the Western Sydney suburb Westmead, playing junior rugby league for local club Parramatta.
[4] Vest commenced his New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership first grade career with Western Suburbs in the 1914 NSWRFL season.
[5][6] During the 1920 Great Britain Lions tour Vest played in all three Tests for Australia as they won the Ashes for the very first time.