Alan Stretton
St Kilda
AFL career
16 games10 goals
- Debut
- R2 1946 v FSC27 Apr 1946
- Most recent
- R8 1947 v MEL7 June 1947
Stats
Bio
While his time at the elite level was fleeting, Alan Stretton remains a unique figure in VFL history, transitioning from a post-war footballer to one of Australia's most prominent military leaders. Recruited to St Kilda in 1946 as the competition stabilised after World War II, he played primarily as a handy utility capable of hitting the scoreboard, contributing 10 goals across his 16 senior appearances. Despite showing promise and winning the club's seconds Best and Fairest award in 1946, his football career was secondary to his professional calling in the Australian Army. Stretton eventually retired from the game to focus on his military service, where he later achieved national fame as the Major General in charge of the reconstruction efforts following Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, earning him the title of Australian of the Year in 1975.
Profile
- Born
- 30 Sept 1922
- Died
- 26 Oct 2012 (aged 90y 26d)
- Birthplace
- Melbourne, VIC
- Deathplace
- Batemans Bay, NSW
- Height
- 187 cm
- Weight
- 94 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionWhile his time at the elite level was fleeting, Alan Stretton remains a unique figure in VFL history, transitioning from a post-war footballer to one of Australia's most prominent military leaders. Recruited to St Kilda in 1946 as the competition stabilised after World War II, he played primarily as a handy utility capable of hitting the scoreboard, contributing 10 goals across his 16 senior appearances. Despite showing promise and winning the club's seconds Best and Fairest award in 1946, his football career was secondary to his professional calling in the Australian Army. Stretton eventually retired from the game to focus on his military service, where he later achieved national fame as the Major General in charge of the reconstruction efforts following Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, earning him the title of Australian of the Year in 1975.