Bob Pratt: Australian Football
Harold Robert “Bob” Pratt, Sr. (August 31, 1912 – January 6, 2001) was considered to be the best full-forward in history. He represented the South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Coburg in the Victorian Football Association as an Australian rules footballer during the 1930s and 1940s.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Pratt topped the club’s goal-kicking for the first time in 1932 with 71 goals. For the next three seasons, he passed a total of 100 goals. In 1934, his total goals were 150 and it was a VFL/AFL record that was unbroken and unbeaten until 1971. Bob Pratt’s tally of 37 goals in finals football was a club record until 2008. In 2000, he was named at Full-forward in Coburg’s Team of the Century.
Why Was He So Good?
Bob Pratt trained with expert sprinters. He believed that it helped him with his preliminary acceleration and accurateness in kicking. Many believed that none could ever equal his greatness when it comes to Pratt’s playing – his shining marking, excellent kicking and his willpower when playing.
What You May Not Know
- In 1942, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force as Corporal in the 7th Medical Receiving Station.
His son, Bob Pratt, Jr., played for South Melbourne but retired after a number of injuries and increased business pressures. - Pratt also worked for the Melbourne Star newspaper as inspector of news agencies, sales representative for soft drink companies and as a sports writer, writing a football column for The Argus newspaper.
- In 2009, he was nominated by The Australian as one of the 25 greatest footballers never to win a Brownlow medal.
Related Pages
- More Australian Football legendary players
- Athlete Database home
- About the sport of Australian Football
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