Australian Football

Perhaps better known as a 'Sporting Globe' journalist, Alan Fitcher was also a highly dependable VFL ruckman with Fitzroy, where he played 98 senior games and booted 21 goals between 1929 and 1936. Not overly tall at 183cm, he was nevertheless more than capable of looking after himself, and gave the Maroons many fine performances during what was a wholly inauspicious era for the club.

In 1937 Fitcher transferred to VFA club Brighton and was an integral part of the side that finished second on the ladder to Brunswick in his first season there. The Penguins were bundled out in 'straight sets', but that was through no fault of Fitcher, who was named as his team's best in a Preliminary Final loss to Prahran. (Prahran went on to defeat Brunswick in the Grand Final.)

Fitcher became Brighton's captain-coach the following year, as the Penguins went one better before falling to Brunswick in the 1938 VFA Grand Final. However, after just one season at the helm, Fitcher sought and was granted a clearance to Camberwell. After a fine start, his season was derailed by an arm fracture sustained in a match against Coburg. Fitcher retired at season's end, immediately taking up a reporting role with the Sporting Globe. He spent the next two decades with the 'Pink Paper' covering the VFA and VFL with distinction. 

Author - Andrew Gigacz and John Devaney