Fremantle selected Brown at number five in the 1999 draft, just one pick after it chose Pavlich with pick four.
The pair met at club headquarters on induction day and struck up a friendship that stands to this day.
“It came about because we were both intestate guys and we were living with host families,” Brown said.
“We’d do little activities like ten pin bowling and we’d have dinner together.”
Brown played with Pavlich at Fremantle for three seasons before being traded to North Melbourne. He later won a premiership with Collingwood in 2010 before retiring in 2011.
The game Brown believes highlighted Pavlich’s character was the round 6, 2002 match against Essendon at Subiaco – better known for the horrific facial injury Essendon legend James Hird suffered in a sickening collision with a teammate’s knee.
Hird and Pavlich were running with the flight of the ball towards oncoming traffic, with both players’ eyes fixated on the football.
The Bombers’ captain wore the brunt of teammate Mark McVeigh’s knee on his face and the injury was later compared to being in a car crash. Pavlich was inches away from suffering the same fate.
“The injury to James Hird sums up everything Matthew is about,” Brown said.
“He also went back with the flight and had eyes only for the footy.
“Firstly, he had the courage to be in that position, but then there was the compassionate follow up to make sure James was ok. He followed it up after (the game), too.
“I think that sums ‘Pav’ up: hard and brave on the field, but caring and compassionate at the same time. That certainly stands true off the field as well.”
Brown said it was obvious to him from early on that Pavlich was driven to be a successful player, which he added the Freo skipper had clearly become.
“His leadership on the field has been outstanding, but his ability to impact and change a game has been outstanding for the Fremantle Football Club and has been outstanding for a long time,” he said.
“But he’s also just a fantastic guy off the field too, whether you’re having a bite to eat with him or working hard in the gym.”
Brown felt Pavlich had not received the recognition he deserved in the East, but he believed that has started to change in the past few years.
“The more successful Fremantle has become has helped that,” he said.
“He’s competed at a high level and produced quality performances week in, week out for a long time, and for the eastern side of the country to work that out in the past couple of years is well overdue.
“Performances come finals time helps that.
“When you kick six goals at the MCG and win the game nearly off your own boot against Geelong in a final, that certainly adds to your resume.”
Brown congratulated Pavlich on reaching 300 games and said his good friend’s milestone was an outstanding achievement.
“If it’s possible to underrate 300 games, this might be the case, because to fly every second week for 15 years and reach 300 is testament to his work rate, professionalism and durability,” he said.
“I’ll be looking on and hoping the boys get a win for him, because he deserves it.”
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