Brian Clay

Brian Joseph Clay

Personal information
Nickname	Poppa
Born	18 April 1935 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died	2 September 1987 (age 52) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Position	Five-eighth, Lock
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1953–55 Newtown Jets 30 11 0 0 33 1956 Griffith 1957–67 St. George Dragons 183 33 0 0 99 Total 213 44 0 0 132 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1957–59 New South Wales 7 3 0 0 9 1957–60 Australia 8 0 0 0 0
Source: Rugby League Project and Yesterday's Hero

Brian Joseph 'Poppa' Clay (1935 – 1987) was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a five-eighth with the St. George Dragons during their 11-year consecutive premiership winning run from 1956 to 1966. He was a representative in the Australian national team in 1957 and from 1959-1960 earning five Test caps plus three World Cup appearances. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.

Clay grew up in the inner Sydney suburb of St Peters. He played schoolboy football for Newtown Technical School and captained a New South Wales Schoolboys side. He began losing his hair as a teenager and early in his football career became known as 'Poppa'.

Clay was graded by the Newtown Bluebags in 1953 aged 19. He played in the club's losing Grand final teams of 1954 and 1955, learning the ropes against the powerful early 1950s South Sydney Rabbitohs sides.

After Clay spent the 1956 country season with Griffith, Frank Facer offered him a contract with St George as a lock forward from 1957. He made his State and International debut in 1957 and played a major role in Australia's success in the 1957 World Cup. When Johnny Raper joined the club in 1959 Clay moved to five-eighth at which position he enjoyed most success.

Outside the game Clay was a dour, cautious man, highly principled and loyal. On field Clay ran stampeding, battering charges like an extra forward and would then set the wider backs in motion with precise passes. His flashier outside backs Reg Gasnier and Johnny King benefitted from the opposition defence Clay would absorb on their behalf. In turn he was known for his own punishing defence using a shuddering ball-and-all style of crash tackle.