Mal Brown

Malcolm Gregory "Mal" Brown (born 26 October 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League and West Australian National Football League. He is described as "one of the most colourful and controversial characters" of the game.[1]

Mal Brown
Personal information
Full name Malcolm Gregory Brown
Date of birth (1946-10-26) 26 October 1946
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 97 kg (214 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1965–1973 East Perth 166 (254)
1974 Richmond 014 (25)
1975–1976 Claremont 012 (21)
1977 South Fremantle 010 (9)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
1966–1973 Western Australia 16 (20)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1970–1973 East Perth 91 (61–30–0)
1973, 1981–82, 1988 Western Australia 8 (4–4–0)
1975–76 Claremont
1978–1984; 1992 South Fremantle 182 (119–62–1)
1985–1987 Perth 65 (25–39–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1977.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1992.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

He was a highly controversial character not only for his many visits to the tribunal during his playing career but also for a number of incidents when coaching as well.[2]

Career

Brown played in the WANFL for East Perth, Claremont and South Fremantle. His honours as a player include the Sandover Medal in 1969 and three best and fairests at East Perth (1969, 70, 72).[2]

He was made captain/coach of East Perth in 1970 and in this capacity he led them to their 1972 premiership. At the celebrations after the game as captain he was invited to drinks with the club hierarchy. Upon requesting that the rest of the team be able to join them, and being denied, he hence took the team to the nearby Norwood Hotel for their own celebration, to the displeasure of the club president, F.D. Book.[2]

The end of this season also saw him lead East Perth as they competed in the 1972 Championship of Australia. In a match against Carlton he got into several fights taking a dislike to their treatment of some of his team mates.[3]

Brown moved to play in the VFL with the Richmond Football Club for the 1974 season.[4] This earned him recognition in Victoria, where he was considered a highly controversial character.[5] He played 14 games and booted 25 goals as a ruck-rover for the Tigers, but did not play in the 1974 Grand Final due to suspension for throwing the ball at an umpire.[6]

He returned to Western Australia in 1975 and was appointed the player-coach for Claremont. He was banned him from holding an official position with the club in 1976 after he sent a previously replaced player back out on the field, before interchange players were allowed, and he was replaced as coach by Graham Moss in 1977.[7]

He moved to play and coach at South Fremantle, the club he supported as a child, and after retiring as a player during 1977, he coached South to a premiership in 1980.[8]

In 1985, after eight years in charge at South Fremantle, he moved to coach Perth. He stayed there for 3 years before retiring to join the WAFL Commission. He returned to coach South Fremantle for one more year in 1992 before retiring from coaching for the last time.

In 1994 he co-authored a book titled Mal Brown & Mongrels I've met! with Brian Hansen.[9]

He was a regular panelist on The Footy Show[10]

In 2004, Brown was inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.[11]

Personal life

Brown is the father of former Hawthorn and Gold Coast Suns player Campbell.

Notes
  1. Piesse, Ken (27 July 2011). Football Legends of the Bush. Penguin Books Limited. p. 351. ISBN 9780857962973. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  2. East, Alan, ed. (September 2006). The Sandover Medal Men. Noranda, WA: Alan East. pp. 259–264. ISBN 0-9775813-0-6.
  3. WA's most controversial moments in sport Archived 16 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine; The West Australian; 2007-06-04
  4. 1974 Richmond Round by Round playing list Archived 29 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Holmesby, R. and Main, J. (2005). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. ISBN 1-86350-243-2
  6. VFL Tribunal Findings, 1974 Archived 29 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Slattery, Geoff (2010). The Brownlow: A Tribute to the Greats of Australian Football. Slattery Media Group. p. 180. ISBN 9780980744743.
  8. South Fremantle Football Club History
  9. Brown, Mal; Hansen, Brian (1994). Mal Brown and Mongrels I've Met. Mt Waverley: Brian Edward Hansen. ISBN 0-646-17695-1.
  10. Moran, Albert; Keating, Chris (4 August 2009). The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780810870222. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  11. Hall of Fame Inductees
gollark: Well, I have some traffic lights ingame.
gollark: What's your ingame name?
gollark: Karma: I shall add you to... **the traffic light blacklist**.
gollark: You underestimate my talent for ignorance.
gollark: jake: the power of *E B A Y*.

References
  • Hogan P: The Tigers of Old, Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
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