Australian Football

Prior to the emergence of Peter Hudson, the greatest full forward in Tasmanian football history was undoubtedly Alan Rait. In his debut season with North Hobart in 1927 he played mainly as a half forward flanker, but from 1928 onwards he found his true home at the goal front.

In 1929, Rait topped the ton for the first of four times, and the following year established a TANFL record of 152 goals for the season that was to stand until 1976, when superseded by Hudson. The 1930 season also saw Rait selected to represent Tasmania at the Adelaide carnival when, with 27 goals, he finished second on the goal-kicking list to Bill Mohr of the VFL.

In 1933, Alan Rait joined Mohr in the VFL when he was signed by Footscray. He played 18 games that year, and booted 59 goals to head the Tricolours' list, but an injury sustained early the following season brought his VFL career to an untimely end. After spending the remainder of the 1934 season back home in Tasmania recovering from his injury, Rait resumed with North Hobart in 1935 as captain-coach. The Robins lost that year's Grand Final to Roy Cazaly's New Town by 14 points, but made amends in 1936 by winning both the local and the state titles.

Alan Rait put in one final season with North Hobart in 1937 before deciding to retire. All told, he booted 849 goals in league football in roughly 180 games (including inter-league and interstate matches). He topped the TANFL goal kicking list in all but two of his 10 full seasons in the competition.

Author - John Devaney