St George Dragons: Nathan Brown

NATHAN BROWN
St George Illawarra Dragons

INDEX TO THIS PAGE:
SUMMARY OF EVENTS & PICS FROM THE EARLY 1990s - click here

'BROWNIE SPEAKS', SOUND FILE BELOW - click here
NATHAN BROWN'S INJURY ON FEB 3 & THE AIR LIFT BY HELICOPTER - click here
MORE PICS OF THE GREAT NATHAN BROWN IN ACTION - click here

THE ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

NATHAN BROWN PLAYED
FIRST GRADE RUGBY LEAGUE
FOR THE MIGHTY DRAGONS FROM 1993-2000
HE WAS INJURED IN A PRE SEASON MATCH IN 2001 WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO HIS RETIREMENT

NSWRL footy card - click for larger image

Click on the images for a larger pics (58 Kb)

footy card reversed - click for larger image

SUN HERALD 1994
Click on the image for a larger pic (114 Kb)

Originally from Maclean in northern NSW, Nathan Brown came to St George as a youngster in 1993. Mixing surfing with Rugby League, he went on to be co-captain of the Dragons and was widely regarded as one of the best hookers in the game. His dummy half play was outstanding and he often topped the tackle count. In all, he played 171 matches and scored 32 tries
He played in 3 Grand Finals in '93, '96 and '99.
Without a doubt, Brownie had excelled at club level and will leave the game with a flawless reputation.
He is one of the best players never to play for Australia, let alone NSW but remains as a highly

respected footballer at all levels of the game.
Nathan's 2001 season was stalled when he had to recover from a foot injury.
On February 3, a serious neck injury in a pre season match against Canterbury saw the hooker being air lifted by helicopter to hospital. Reports indicated that Nathan Brown had numbness or lack of feeling from the neck down. He recovered and reports later suggested that he was back into training and would eventually resume playing.
On March 16, on the advice of a specialist, Nathan Brown aged just 27, announced his retirement from Rugby League.
Neurosurgeons examining Brown's injury discovered an unrelated congenital problem with his spinal chord. This 'narrowing' of the spine was the main factor

behind Nathan's decision to retire. It is remarkable that he hasn't suffered earlier permanent damage considering his sporting career. Indeed, it is good news that Nathan can lead a normal life and excel in other areas off the field.
Nathan Brown was one of the true gentlemen of Rugby League. At all times he excelled at being a true sportsman and a dedicated club man.
It will be difficult to replace his spirit.

With Brown still contracted until the end of 2002, it is tipped that he will remain with the club in an administrative role. Coaching a lower grade side in the future has not been dismissed nor has the possibility of Nathan taking on the job in the area of recruitment. Currently, it is apparent that all efforts are being made to keep Brownie with the club. (- March 2001).

SOUND FILE: Best hint regarding sound files: 'right click' and select 'save link as' or save target as' and save the wav or zip file to your desktop or folder of choice.
Alternatively, just click in normal way and allow your browser plug in to take over. NATHAN BROWN TALKS ON THE FOOTY SHOW ABOUT THE INJURY, RETIREMENT & HIS FUTURE

WAV (2340 Kb) Click on the pic to hear highlights of Nathan Brown being interviewed on Channel Nine's Footy Show (Thur 22 March 2001) by Paul Vautin, Peter Sterling, Ryan Girdler and Andrew Johns. (Total listening time: 3min 37sec)
OR,

ZIP (1875 Kb)Download as a zip file.

BACK TO TOP
NATHAN BROWN'S INJURY - FEBRUARY 3, 2001 (vs Canterbury) Although, the neck injury in the pre-season was not reason enough for Nathan Brown's retirement, it did lead specialists to discover a more serious spinal condition. After watching the video of the incident and the 'soft' nature of the injury, the medical specialists were prompted to re-examine the X-rays.
Here is a video capture of the pre-season injury.

Nathan Brown goes into the tackle	Brown (#9) receives a mild knock to the head
The tackle is done but Nathan (right) can't move	Worried trainers are immediately on the field
With his neck braced, Nathan is carried off towards a waiting helicopter	An Emergency air lift is ordered as friends & family look on. Nathan's wife, Tanya is 2nd from right

BACK TO TOP

MORE SAINTS ON TV PICS OF THE GREAT NATHAN BROWN IN ACTION

It was an honour to watch you play, mate. You gave us so much pleasure during your all too short career. Wishing you all the best for the future.

9th October 2002:
Former St George player, Nathan Brown has accepted the Dragons head coaching job for 2003 following the departure of Andrew Farrar.
Former Canberra Raiders' and Australian five eighth, Laurie Daley has been appointed as a consultant to Brown while former Dragons' forward, David Barnhill has been appointed assistant coach. Also joining Brown, Daley and Barnhill will be former player, Paul McGregor who was later appointed as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Brown enjoyed considerable success with the U/22s Jersey Flegg side and was making a mark for himself as a trainer at representative level. Despite these achievements, Brown's appointment is widely regarded as a gamble with the former hooker becoming the youngest head coach in NRL history.
Dragons media release - click here

E mail

[ Back to main page ]
| Dragons History (2000 & beyond) |

BACK TO TOP