Australian Football

Rino Pretto's senior VFL career with Fitzroy consisted of just a single appearance in 1978 in which he kicked a goal with his only disposal of the match. However, after leaving the Lions he carved out quite an illustrious reputation for himself in the VFA. 

After brief stints at first division clubs Camberwell (24 games, 9 goals in 1980 and 1982-3) and Coburg (10 games, 3 goals in 1981) Pretto crossed to Oakleigh, a once proud club languishing in second division, and really came into his own playing at full forward. Between 1984 and 1992 he made 142 appearances for the Devils, kicking 874 goals. He was top goal kicker in second division in 1985-6-7-8, with 170 goals in 1985 his best season's tally.

In 1988 Oakleigh won the very last second division premiership withe the competition reverting to a single division format from the following year. Unfazed, Rino Pretto continued to kick high tallies of goals against much stronger opposition. Early in the 1992 season he transferred to Dandenong where he remained for the final three campaigns of his career and topped the Association's goal kicking charts in 1984 with 87 goals. He played 47 games for Dandy and kicked 209 goals. His career tally of 1,070 goals has only been surpassed by Fred Cook in the history of the VFA.

Author - John Devaney