Despite being sent off in his club debut, Brown's goalscoring touch immediately turned struggling Napier's season around leading them from the bottom of the New Zealand National Soccer League to 1985 Chatham Cup winners in a final that became known as "Greg Brown's final", in which he scored one goal and set up two others in the 3–1 win over North Shore United.
In February 1986 he was selected in the New Zealand national football team, making four B-international appearances in friendlies against a touring USSR XI.
[1] In 1987, Brown moved across the Tasman to play for the Parramatta Eagles from 1987 to 1992 and the West Adelaide Sharks from 1992 till his retirement from professional football in 1994, aged 32.
[2][3] Brown joined Mitchelton FC in the local Brisbane competition in 1996 and was the club's head coach from 2004 to 2007.
From November 1997 to March 1999, Brown was coach of the Matildas, the Australian national women's team, and took them to a record 14 internationals without a loss.