Growing up in the northern suburbs of Wollongong, Drain learned his football with the Tarrawanna club in the shadow of the Illawarra escarpment in an era of great football strength in the region.
Drain won the first of his caps alongside his Woonona team-mate Charlie Stewart against the touring Sth Africans in 1947 in a team that introduced a number of legendary names in Australian football.
A controversial figure in later years, Drain would figure in the all conquering Corrimal side of the mid 50s.