Ray Huppatz
Encyclopedia
Ray Huppatz is a former Australian rules football
er who played with Footscray
and North Melbourne
in the VFL
during the 1970s.
Huppatz, a rover, had already made a name for himself in South Australian football prior to joinng the VFL. He was a four-time 'Best and fairest' winner at Woodville
, with awards in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1973. From 1966 to 1973 he played 125 SANFL games for Woodville which saw him form a strong ruck combination with Malcolm Blight
. In this period he regularly represented the South Australians at interstate football, including at the 1972 Perth Carnival
.
Footscray recruited Huppatz for the 1974 VFL season and he made an immediate impression with 30 goals that year. In 1976 he was chosen to represent Victoria in a game against Western Australia. He finished his Victorian career with a stint at North Melbourne and he kicked two goals from the forward pocket
in the 1978 Grand Final
loss to Hawthorn. A knee injury kept him out of the entire 1979 season and he managed just seven games in 1980.
After returning to South Australia he played a further season with Woodville to bring his final club games tally to 142. He spent his final four years at Port Adelaide
but his appearances were far from regular and he finished with 38 games.
In 2003 he was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with Footscray
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
and North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
during the 1970s.
Huppatz, a rover, had already made a name for himself in South Australian football prior to joinng the VFL. He was a four-time 'Best and fairest' winner at Woodville
Woodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
, with awards in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1973. From 1966 to 1973 he played 125 SANFL games for Woodville which saw him form a strong ruck combination with Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Jack Blight AM is a former champion Australian rules football player and coach, and current television commentator. During the 1970s and 1980s Blight played for the Woodville Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and the North Melbourne Football Club in the...
. In this period he regularly represented the South Australians at interstate football, including at the 1972 Perth Carnival
1972 Perth Carnival
The 1972 Perth Carnival was the 18th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
.
Footscray recruited Huppatz for the 1974 VFL season and he made an immediate impression with 30 goals that year. In 1976 he was chosen to represent Victoria in a game against Western Australia. He finished his Victorian career with a stint at North Melbourne and he kicked two goals from the forward pocket
Forward pocket
In Australian rules football, the forward pocket refers to a position on the field deep in offense.Forward pocket players, situated in the forward line, need to have good avoidance and goal sneak skills and usually, quality forward-pockets are noted for their agility and ability to score difficult...
in the 1978 Grand Final
1978 VFL Grand Final
The 1978 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 1978. It was the 82nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
loss to Hawthorn. A knee injury kept him out of the entire 1979 season and he managed just seven games in 1980.
After returning to South Australia he played a further season with Woodville to bring his final club games tally to 142. He spent his final four years at Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
but his appearances were far from regular and he finished with 38 games.
In 2003 he was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame
South Australian Football Hall of Fame
The South Australian Football Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognise the players, coaches, umpires, administrators and journalists who had made a significant contribution in the South Australian National Football League...
.