In total he played three tests, twice against the touring Great Britain side in 1904 and then in New Zealand the following year.
He was selected in the first ever Queensland Maroons state representative side to play the new "Northern Union" style of rugby, taking on Albert Baskerville's New Zealand All Golds on their inaugural tour.
When the New Zealand team came back on the return leg of their tour, they played three Test matches against the first Australian representative sides ever selected.
[5] McLean was one of five former Wallabies who debuted for the Kangaroos in that inaugural Test along with Dally Messenger, Micky Dore, Denis Lutge and John Rosewell.
Doug Sr. was the patriarch of an extraordinary rugby union dynasty with three of his sons and three of his grandsons also playing for Australia.