Friday, January 25, 2019

Vale James 'Jimmy' Roy Hunter (1933 - 2019)


Photo:  Jimmy Hunter (extreme left) walks towards the ball to take a free-kick during a game between Rangers and Olympia at South Hobart in about 1960 [PlessPix]

The death occurred in Hobart this week of former State representative player Jimmy Hunter, aged in his late 80s.

Hunter came from Dumfries in Scotland and arrived in Tasmania in 1958 after a spell in Hong Kong.

Hunter was one of five players from the UK who arrived in Tasmania that year to join Rangers.  The others were Dan Rawlins, Billy MacMillan, Walter Worsey and Bob Ferguson.

All five were cleared from Rangers to Caledonians after a handful of games for Rangers.

Hunter was a centre-half and was famous for his well-timed sliding tackles.

He spent his career with Rangers and Caledonians in Hobart and coached Taroona for a couple of seasons after retiring as a player in the late 1960s.

He represented Tasmania on a tour of South Australia in 1961 in which Tasmania lost 2-0 to a South Australia Country XI and 2-1 to South Australia.

He played against Victoria twice in Hobart that same year, Tasmania drawing the first game 3-3 and losing the second 3-0.

Hunter’s career was ended when he broke a leg for the second time in a couple of seasons.

Photo (L-R):  Dan Rawlins, Billy MacMillan, Jim Hunter, Walter Worsey and Bob Ferguson watching a cricket match in Adelaide during Tasmania's two-game tour of that State in 1961 [Photo courtesy of Walter Worsey]

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