He played in six premierships and captained the club, and now David Brown is one of the newest inductees into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.
The rugged midfielder was one of four players and a premiership team to be elevated at the club’s Hall of Fame and Season Launch event on Thursday night.
Brown enjoyed incredible success following his SANFL debut in 1987, playing in consecutive premierships in the next two seasons and missing a third in 1990 through injury.
Selected as part of the inaugural Adelaide Crows AFL list in 1991, Brown went on to play 69 games at West Lakes before returning home to Port Adelaide to be part of its inaugural AFL list in 1997.
After 22 games over two seasons, Brown finished his AFL career and continued to the play for the club in the SANFL where he was part of the sides that won the 1998 and 1999 premierships.
He was made Captain for the 1999 and 2000 seasons before his retirement after a total of 22 AFL and 182 SANFL games for Port Adelaide.
An ardent Port Adelaide supporter since his childhood, Brown could not hide his pride at being inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.
“You grow up coming from Ethelton and all you want to do is play for Port Adelaide – well that’s all I wanted to do - and to get that opportunity was something I didn’t think would happen,” he said at the function in the William Magarey Room at Adelaide Oval.
“I got to meet and play with some great players… and we went through a golden era which was very special – not only the premierships but meeting the people you met along the way including the supporters of the club.
“To stand up here tonight as a Hall of Famer and to be amongst the champions that are in that group is very humbling.
“It’s a very special club and one I’m indebted to for life. I could have ended up anywhere, but I had this passion to play football and I’m very lucky to be a part of a very very special club - a club that is the best football club in Australia by far.”
Brown thanked the coaches who gave him the opportunity to play at the club from his junior days and made special mention of his family, describing the pride he would feel at them seeing his name etched on the honour boards at Alberton Oval.
David Brown
Playing career for Port Adelaide:
Games: 204 (22 AFL / 182 SANFL) 1987-2001
Goals: 174 (18 AFL / 156 SANFL)
6x SANFL Premiership player (1988-89, 1992, 1996, 1998-99)
SANFL Captain (1999-2000)
Port Adelaide Football Club life member (1996)
Jack Oatey Medallist (1996)
