Broncos fan reveals his inspiration behind battle with life-threatening skin condition

When a young boy, battling a life-threatening illness, joined the Brisbane Broncos team celebrating their first grand final win in 1992, he was not expected to see Christmas that year.

Twenty-five years later Dean Clifford has told of his new found strength as he looks forward to a possible seventh Broncos premiership this year.

Now 37, Dean has spent his life battling Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare condition that's left his skin as thin and weak as tissue paper.

But Dean has now told Fox Sports’ League Life that special day a quarter of a century ago was a new beginning, bringing him new mates amid a condition that made making friends a struggle.

Before the 1992 grand final the club organised for Dean to go to the players' breakfast before they headed to the ground.

“My family and I were at the game and my older cousin sort of pushed and bullied his way through the crowd to put me right down on the field,” Dean told Fox Sports.

“Yeah, it was amazing. At that stage I wasn’t supposed to live.”

The visit was also caught the attention of legendary Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.

“That was the first time I'd ever heard of Dean, and he wasn't supposed to last until Christmas," he said.

"Well he's had lots of Christmases since, he's still with us and he still fights the battle.

Dean remains firm friends with recent generations of Broncos and has been a particularly close mate of Brad Thorn, who has encouraged the indefatigable Dean to a new endeavour.

He’s now a powerlifter who despite his condition has somehow managed to work up to a point where he can bench press double his bodyweight.