Alf Blair

Playing Career

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.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing 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   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NRL 158 38 120   - 354 115 39 4 72.78% List
City Cup 38 9 23   - 73 26 10 2 68.42% List
Tour Matches New South Wales Firsts 6 2 -   - 6 5 1 0 83.33% List
Interstate Matches 7 4 2   - 16 6 1 0 85.71% List
Tour Matches New South Wales Seconds 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Australia 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
Test Series 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
The Ashes 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
NRL Finals 8 3 11   - 31 6 2 0 75.00% List
Country Carnival 3 1 9   - 21 3 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Central Queensland 1 - 1   - 2 0 1 0 0.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1924 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Rest of NSW Firsts 1917 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Firsts 1919, 1924, 1927 15 6 6   - 30 11 4 0 73.33% List
Metropolis 1920 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Seconds 1922 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Possibles (AU) 1924 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Central QLD 1928 1 - 1   - 2 0 1 0 0.00% List
Overall1917-1928 20 6 7   0 32 15 5 0 75.00% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Souths NSWRFL 1917 9 2 -   - 6 6 3 0 66.67% List
Souths NSWRFL 1918 14 4 -   - 12 12 2 0 85.71% List
Souths NSWRFL 1919 14 6 -   - 18 6 7 1 42.86% List
Souths NSWRFL 1920 12 5 -   - 15 8 4 0 66.67% List
Souths NSWRFL 1921 8 2 -   - 6 4 4 0 50.00% List
Souths NSWRFL 1922 12 2 2   - 10 7 4 1 58.33% List
Souths NSWRFL 1923 7 1 4   - 11 5 2 0 71.43% List
Souths NSWRFL 1924 8 - 1   - 2 5 2 1 62.50% List
Souths NSWRFL 1925 10 1 7   - 17 10 0 0 100.00% List
Souths NSWRFL 1926 18 4 38   - 88 16 2 0 88.89% List
Souths NSWRFL 1927 15 2 44   - 94 14 1 0 93.33% List
Souths NSWRFL 1929 16 7 6   - 33 13 2 1 81.25% List
Souths NSWRFL 1930 15 2 18   - 42 9 6 0 60.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Souths 1917-27, 1929-30 158 38 120   - 354 115 39 4 72.78% List

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Contributions: Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Shawn Dollin, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Max Turner