Raines was born in Melbourne, Victoria but moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland at 10 months of age[1] when his father, Geoff, agreed to play for the Brisbane Bears.
Raines began playing his junior football for the Palm Beach Currumbin Lions and later switched to the Southport Sharks.
Still he was a very young player (only eligible for the draft by 8 weeks) and had shown potential playing under-18 football for the Southport Sharks, however having a very small body frame he was considered a long-term prospect.
[2] Raines played on some of the competitions best small and medium forwards, and came to prominence when he restricted dual All-Australian and Brownlow Medal winner Mark Ricciuto to only 4 disposals and 1 goal.
Raines requested to leave Richmond at the end of the 2009 season, and was traded to the Brisbane Lions in 2010 in exchange for a third-round draft pick (#44 overall).