🐇 Jim Tait | Rabbitohs Coach #8

Full Name: Victor James Tait
Born: 20/10/1904 at Bingara, NSW
Died: 24/4/1972 at Sydney, NSW [aged 67]
Club Playing Career: Kensington (third grade) 1922-23; South Sydney 1924-36 (premiers 1925-29 and 1931-32); Wollongong 1938
Representative Playing Career: Combined Second Grade 1925; City Seconds 1931; NSW 1931 (one game); Group Seven 1938
Club Coaching Career: South Sydney Reserves 1937, 1948-50 and 1955-58; South Sydney Firsts 1941-43; South Sydney Thirds 1946-47 and 1951-54
Administrative Career: General Committee 1929-32, 1935-38 and 1957-72; Vice-President 1939-43 and 1946-60; Schools’ Committee 1953-57 and 1964; Social Committee 1956; Representative on the Junior Committee 1957-63; Grading Committee 1958; Rabbitohs Selector 1959-63; Rabbitohs Provisional Selector 1960-64; Retention Committee 1961-63; Trustee 1962-71; Deputy Selector 1967-70
Awards amd Accolades: Rabbitohs premiership winner 1925-29 and 1931-32; Rabbitohs Life Member 1962

Older brother of Alex Tait, who also played for Souths. Their parents were James Henry Tait (1873-1920) and Ellen May White (1876-1940). Jim was born at Bingara (New England region of NSW) in 1904 and moved to Sydney at a young age to be able to play football in Souths’ junior league with Patrician Brothers Redfern and Kensington. He also played for Kensington Third Grade in 1922-23. He was graded with Souths in 1924 and played for the Club until 1936 in 167 grade games, including 16 first grade games. He made his first grade debut in 1928 against North Sydney at North Sydney Oval, in round nine.

Even though the Rabbitohs won premierships in 1928-29 and 1931, and were runners-up in 1935, the lightweight five-eighth did not play in any of those finals. He represented the Combined Second Grade side in 1925, City Seconds in 1931, and in the same year he was included in the NSW Blues’ interstate squad and played in one game against Brisbane, scoring four goals. One Queensland newspaper described him after that Brisbane game as the silent member of the NSW squad who fully justified his last-hour selection. He was full of dry humour when he did have something to say, a reliable goalkicker, who had a great game against Brisbane which surprised many that he wasn’t selected to play against Queensland in either of their two games in the sunny state. In 1938 he played with the Wollongong club and represented Group Seven against Queensland.

He married Rita May White in 1939 at St. Andrew Cathedral, Sydney, and stayed loyal to the Rabbitohs as a coach in first grade in 1941-43, reserves in 1948-50 and 1955-59, and the third grade side in 1946-47 and 1951-54.

Tait also served the Rabbitohs in many roles as an administrator, and he was one of 14 people who were the first to be inducted as Life Members of the South Sydney Football Club at the 54th Annual General Meeting held at Redfern Town Hall on 6 February 1962. He died on 24 April 1972, aged 67.