McAlpine was wingman and regularly represented Victoria in interstate football.

For consecutive seasons in 1931 and 1932 he finished in the top 5 of the Brownlow Medal count.

Having captained Footscray in 1933, his job at Menzies Creek made it difficult for him to attend training so he crossed over to Hawthorn which was closer.

After the war, McAlpine taught and captain-coached the local St James side near Benalla.

This Australian rules football biography of a person born in 1907 is a stub.