Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to pay tribute to rugby league legend Johnny Raper, who died yesterday aged 82.

Johnny and his family were from Kingston Road, Camperdown, in my electorate. I'm also a Camperdown boy. Like him, I played a few games for the Camperdown Dragons, but with just one per cent—maybe!—of his talent. Johnny was famous because, when he was 16, he actually played three games in one day. He played the under-16s, then the under-18s and then A grade—and he played A grade because you got paid a case of beer! So he had a case of beer to take home to dad. He made his debut for Newtown as an 18-year-old before heading to St George, where he won eight premierships. He went on to captain the Kangaroos. He was named one of the original four rugby league immortals. Later on, he returned to coach Newtown for a year.

He used to attend my fundraisers, and he was always the life of any event, was Johnny Raper. I pass on my sympathy to his beloved wife, Carol, and to Stuart and the rest of the family and also to his friends—notably Singo, who was there with him in his dying moments. He was much loved. He was a character, a great Australian, and he will be sadly missed.

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