Post-war Career
Returning from overseas duty, Pratt sought to play for South Melbourne in 1945 but was posted north by the RAAF and did not play during the season.
Pratt caused a sensation when he attempted a comeback with South Melbourne in 1946 aged 33; he was reported to be marking and kicking at full-forward "in something like his old style" during the pre-season practice matches.
Freely granted a clearance from the VFA back to South Melbourne, and looking exceedingly well and seeming keen to play at his best, kicked two early goals in his return match, against Carlton in the first round of the 1946 season, which turned out to be a comparatively entertaining display of football, but also rather tame and blood-less compared with the teams' last meeting in the 1945 "Bloodbath" Grand Final. During the match, Pratt received a career ending leg injury.
Interviewed at the time, Pratt said "I'm playing only for the money" but when his wife Olive interrupted and said that he would still play for nothing, Pratt replied "Well, she might be right, too."
Asked late in life why he never coached, Pratt replied "It was no trouble to me to do things that the ordinary bloke couldn't do, but if he didn't do it, I couldn't understand why."
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