Decano Tuckwell| February 03, 2023
'Legend' is a term too easily thrown at sportsmen but I don't think many would dispute calling Gavin Brown a Brisbane Club cricket legend who scored over 16,700 runs for Valleys. He might not have been the best hitter. hanging around, but he might as well be the most aggressive with his stroke play, a combination of Kim Hughes, Collis King and Freddy Kreuger.
Some of his exploits are well... legendary. In the pre-turbocharged bats era, he once hit 112 in a second grade game with 106 on the border and scored 120 in a one-day first grade game with starter Dean Reeves. 5 when Browny brought out his hundred. Unfamiliar with the terms 'careful' or 'playing himself', he was also sometimes accused of not thinking enough about the game, as on the occasion in a 6v6 match in Singapore when he danced down the wicket to Sylvester Clarke's first ball and struck him over cover for six, seemingly unaware of the fact that neither he nor any of his team-mates had packed helmets for the trip.
Also a talented rugby league footballer, Brown was good enough to play first class in Brisbane prior to the formation of the Brisbane Broncos, meaning he played alongside the likes of Tony Currie and against Wally Lewis, Greg Dowling and Bob Lindner played. Score 25 points in a game.
Gavin's story, a very popular man in Brisbane and Oldham's kebab shops, is well worth reading.
What year were you born?
1965
Can you remember your first cricket and rugby league matches?
Cricket - Ashgrove Primary School - didn't do much, I'm pretty sure we kicked them out for about 16 and don't remember batting.
Rugby League – West Arana Hills U9 – as far as I can remember we played at Purtell Park that year and won the grand final and I was on the bench the whole game.
Nowadays, children's sport is often more about participation than competition, would that have satisfied you as a young athlete?
Not at all, can you imagine these days if little Johnny was benched for an entire game, let alone a grand final? I can understand until the age of 9 or 10, but after that I think competition can bring out the best in kids, you just have to keep the parents in check.
Tell us briefly about your journeys into cricket and rugby league.
Grillo
West's U16 with some schoolmates.
Valley CC from 1982 to now with a 3 year hiatus at Caboolture and Pine Rivers.
Oldham CC Central Lancashire - 1988 (had a great time)
3 tours of 6 Singapore thanks to you Dean - the best time to play cricket on and off the pitch.
Veterans Cricket - Qld and Aussies over 50 where I was lucky enough to play and win in a World Cup in Sydney in 2018 where we crashed at home against Pakistan.
Rugby League
West Arana Hills Junior
Rugby School Brisbane Grammatik
Main Streets RLFC - Metropolitan League / Public Service
Western Suburbs RLFC
At what age did you debut in club cricket and football in the first grade and can you remember how you did on your debut?
Cricket: 18 yo vs Wynnum (Week 2), I don't remember how it went but it was certainly a tough start, they were a strong and experienced team then, Wynnum.
Rugby League: 20 years old vs Easts at Lang Park, went well. I scored a couple of goals but my dad recorded the game and when I saw it David Wright (commentator) said it was like a workhorse chasing a thoroughbred as it rushes to my opponent. extremely...well, did I ever say it was fast?
If you can share with our audience how would you describe yourself as a cricketer and footballer?
Batsman (impatient) and fullback (although stuck on the wing for Wests)
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
164 against Sandgate and Sandgate
What were your best senior cricket bowling moves?
I have no idea, I won 3 out of 3 for Oldham CC (UK) in a pre-season test and they never bowled me again. It tells you how bad the opposition must have been.
Who were the top three fast pitchers you played against?
Ezra Moseley – Fast West Indian who played for Littleborough in Great Britain. I've heard he's smart and I certainly found out a few times during the season. Neither do helmets.
Graham Fox: very sharp and very aggressive on the field.
Eddie Marriner: Quick and I had no idea what was coming next.
Who were the top three spinners you played against?
Easts' Greg Ward: Never much slack stuff and a great guy off the field.
Brett Henschell and Malcolm Franke: I haven't played them either, but I've regularly put them online in practice. Better than any other weirdo I've played against.
Who were the top 3 hitters you played against?
Peter Solway – Peter plays O50 for ACT and captain of the current Aust O50 team. Sol was a prolific run scorer in his youth and could easily have played for NSW but chose to stay with the ACT where I believe he played over 150 games for the Comets. He's just as good today, his focus and ability to fill in gaps and build the bigger picture is outstanding.
Dean Tuckwell: Born prematurely, he would be a sensation in today's abstracts. I'm sorry Tukey.
Andrew Courtice - It was never a fun day on the field when Dog had a day off.
Pedro Solway
Who has played the best innings you've ever seen first hand, played with or against?
I've had the privilege of watching Matt Hayden play a few innings for Valley CC, just brutal when turned on, but he played all the classic shots.
Who were the elusive full-backs you played against?
Jaime Sandy, hurry up and lower you a dime.
Peter Jackson, faster than expected and strong
Gene Miles, no dodging, just ran you over.
Who were the toughest forwards you played with and against?
I played public service football with Shane Bowering, who also played for Wests in the first grade. tackle machine and played well above his weight.
I've been "lucky" to play the Wally Lewis-managed Wynnum Seagulls in the past. I got the ball off the kick and ran back and Bob Lindner and Ian French absolutely pitched to me, now I know why they're giving it to a striker to hit now.
wally lewis
Who was the best goalkeeper you've ever seen play with or against firsthand?
Peter Anderson: all sorts.
Who are the two players you most admired in terms of skill and fighting spirit in the competitions you have participated in?
In the only game I got to play against Wally Lewis, I got to see firsthand how he controlled every facet of his team's game. I was amazed at how much commitment he had off the ball and we all know what his ball-in-hand skills were like. And very competitive, as I found out firsthand when he hit me on the head after a high tackle on Brother Scott.
Editor's note:I was at the Kougari Oval for that game. Brown had an amazing right shoe and regularly hit 40m with his touch kicks, while Wally's "mixed breed kicks" were lucky enough to gain 25m. Boot and the locals in the Can-Bar took an interest in him: "You didn't notice the king's idiot!"
Pretty hard to top Stuart Law, the most skillful and graceful hitter I've ever played with or against. And there wasn't a more competitive cricketer than Darin "Hooch" Turner, the guy always gave it his all and wore his heart on his sleeve.
Stuart Law
Who was the best captain you were lucky enough to play with?
I don't know if Allan Border captained the couple of games I've played with him for Valley DCC, but I was very fortunate to play the Australian captain.
Michael Ephraims was also a great captain at Valley, very competitive. You certainly knew if you were full, but also praised the good performance.
Who was your funniest teammate?
Peter McPhee: I had to be alert when he was around.
Can you remember a joke or exchange on the cricket pitch that still makes you laugh to this day?
There wasn't that much banter or banter but we were playing Sandgate and it had rained quite a bit during the week and they couldn't mow any further. I think it was one of the Goggins hitting a ball into the gap in the ceiling. The fielder lost sight of the ball and they ran 4 runs while we looked for it. Shane Beckey eventually ran away from the skinny leg and found it.
Who was your childhood hero?
Marty Scanlon, Geoff Richardson, League und Greg Chappell, Cricket.
Who are the three athletes in the world you would most like to meet?
Tiger Woods, Viv Richards and Usain Bolt
Vivi Richards
Who is your favorite cricket commentator?
Richie Benaud: Don't worry about Gilly on Fox now.
What was your favorite terrain to play on?
QLD Uni and Redlands have always been good hitting lanes.
Which team would you most like to play against?
I played a lot in second grade and it was always fun playing Easts. Always closing games and a great group of guys for post game beers. In fact, I crashed their trip to the Gold Coast for the season finale after they beat us in the final.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket and football?
It has to be the people you meet along the way, lifelong friends.
What was your most memorable cricket and league moment?
Cricket – Winning the O50 World Cup, I know it's probably not worth it for a lot of former players as most of us who played O50 weren't good enough in the past to get higher honors but I see it as a reward. that you keep playing the game you love. I can tell you it meant a lot to the 16 players and staff who took part.
Australisches 50+ Cricket-Team
League: Definitely my debut for Wests at Lang Park, we sat in the stands watching the reserve class and had to hurry for an autograph after being asked by a kid to autograph a show. Playing against U21s a week earlier, he now ran alongside Tony Currie, Wayne Treleavan, Kevin Langer and other Wests champions. Very happy.
Gavin Brown with South African cricket legend Barry Richards
What was the best win you've ever been a part of?
Aside from O50's WC ID, I have to mention the 2ndGrade Grand Final in 2003. We've lost a number of close finals over the last few years and have come up against a strong varsity side at the Wep Harris Oval. We finally got our batting and bowling. at the same time and were well directed by Richard Anderson. It had been 25 years since GF's last win for the second class VDCC.
Who are the three gamers from your playing days that top the list for a Saturday afternoon barbecue?
You have to be Tucky, and we'll bring Foles and Cottee too. Maybe I'll let Cooky grill too.
What are your hobbies?
Enjoy some X-Golf now.
What's the best advice you've received?
Make sure you get home before sunrise
Editor's Note: This advice has not always been followed
What is your actual job?
Account Manager
Let's put a plug on your employer, who do you work for?
Papel Spicers(for the third time)
Any plans to retire?
I definitely am, but I don't know when, on the Sunshine Coast.
If you were running Cricket QLD what would be your two priorities to ensure cricket stays strong and thriving across the state on and off the pitch?
Reward club performance.
Give more local players a chance in the BBL instead of foreign players. I think you would get more pitch freaks to see a local player than a 19 year old foreign player that no one has ever heard of.
Team Arches - Wests vs. Wynnum Manly in 1986
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