Coaching Career
Summary
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Alfred Lewis Blair
- Nickname(s)
- Smacker
- Born
- Thursday, 23rd January, 1896
- Died
- Thursday, 28th September, 1944 (Aged 48 years and 248 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Biography
Alf 'Smacker' Blair is rightly regarded as one of the greatest captains in Souths' history. After leading the club's President's Cup side to the 1915 premiership, Blair progressed to the club captaincy just as it was beginning to dominate the game in the 1920s. A fine tactical player at five-eighth, he was a late selection for Australia for the First Test against England but despite a rushed trip by ship, car and train, floods on the north coast saw him arrive too late to play the match. Blair played his only Test for his country in the First Test loss to the Lions in Sydney in 1924, but it is his deeds as Souths’ captain that he is best remembered. The Rabbitohs reigned supreme in 1925-29, with Blair involved in each premiership success, bar 1928. In 1927, Blair was captain-coach of the champion club and two years later, led Souths on the first tour of NZ by a Sydney club side. He left the club the following year to coach in the country before returning to Sydney to coach Wests in1943. Blair died prematurely the following year - at age 48 – at the end of the season he coached Souths to the semi-finals.
Coaching Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | Games | W | L | D | Win % | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NRL | 47 | 26 | 20 | 1 | 55.32% | List | ||||||||
Country Carnival | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||||||
NRL Finals | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||||||
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NRL/NSWRL - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | Games | W | L | D | Win % | ||||||||
Souths | NSWRFL 1927 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 88.89% | List | |||||||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1943 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 21.43% | List | |||||||
Souths | NSWRFL 1944 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 46.67% | List | |||||||
Overall | 1927-1944 | 47 | 26 | 20 | 1 | 55.32% | List | |||||||
NRL/NSWRL - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | Games | W | L | D | Win % | ||||||||
Souths | 1927, 1944 | 33 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 69.70% | List | |||||||
Western Suburbs | 1943 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 21.43% | List | |||||||
Overall | 1927-1944 | 47 | 26 | 20 | 1 | 55.32% | List |
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