Teddy EJ Whitten

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Some great memories from merantau and others. I knew EJ well. Without doubt Footscray's finest. Before joining the Bulldogs at 17 he had won both the Braybrook and District League's B and F on Saturday and similar both awards playing with Collingwood in the tough Sunday League competition. He started as a brilliant Centre Half Back for the Bulldogs and an absolute star at Centre Half Forward for Victoria over many years. Household names like Skilton and Aylett and State team mates revered his brilliance. In some ways his brilliance was sacrificed when he was forced to play as a ruck rover to help lift some average Footscray sides when he took over as Captain and Coach. Whitten and Schultz in both winning 5 Club best and fairests were clearly standouts throughout the '60's. EJ became a household name throughout Australia through his 30 year career with Adidas bringing him in contact with sports men and women of champion status. His State funeral probably the first ever afforded by a State Government in Victoria drew a church audience of 2,000 with a further 3,000 lining the streets to his burial place.Former champions such as Gary Ablett Snr, Brereton, Hawkins, Williams Weightman etc speak in awe of his influence as Chairman of Selectors where he became larger than life in the great State of Origin contests. He had a unique relationship with his son Ted Jnr and nothing gave EJ more pleasure than when young Ted was chosen to represent Victorian. Charlie Sutton rated Ted Whitten and Jack Collins the two finest Footscray players. Ted was the most gifted of League players you would ever see.he was the complete player.

[Twodogs]

I was in that crowd that turned out in Geelong rd to watch his funeral go past and there were more than 3000. I reckon it was closer to 10000.

[craigsahibee]

EJ was my Dad's hero. I was less than 12 months old when I supposedly first saw him play!

I've posted this story before on another thread, but back in 1983 the club held a Family Day as part of it's Centenary Celebrations. On this day the 54 Premiership side played against the 61 Grand Final side.

EJ led the 54 team out for their warm up lap while I was out on the ground having a kick with my cousin. As they ran towards us, EJ up front with his barrell chest, called for the ball and held his hands out in front of his chest to receive the ball. From what I recall was about 15 metres away, I drilled a neat drop punt straight on to his chest. I don't reckon the ball went any higher than 4 foot off the ground. I thought at the time that what had just happened was pretty cool, but nowhere near the level of cool that my old man thought it was.

[Twodogs]

I remember that day. Was it really 38 years ago? We were closer in time then to 1954 than today is to 1982.

[craigsahibee]

Only 33 years. I was 13 at the time. For a while there you had me thinking I missed my 50th birthday.

[Bulldog4life]

I don't know if anyone else on Woof was there but the last match I saw Ted coach was at Skinner Reserve. It was late 1989 when the Club was raising money to stay in the Competition there was an "old players" match between Footscray and Collingwood players. Ted was coach of Footscray and his speeches during the breaks were hilarious. I remember him saying to Georgie Bisset "you have to lift Georgie, lift". Not sure who won or lost but they made sure the game was close. Good memories.

[Twodogs]

Only 33 years. I was 13 at the time. For a while there you had me thinking I missed my 50th birthday.

You're right too. It was 33 years.

It's not making me feel any younger though.

[Twodogs]

I don't know if anyone else on Woof was there but the last match I saw Ted coach was at Skinner Reserve. It was late 1989 when the Club was raising money to stay in the Competition there was an "old players" match between Footscray and Collingwood players. Ted was coach of Footscray and his speeches during the breaks were hilarious. I remember him saying to Georgie Bisset "you have to lift Georgie, lift". Not sure who won or lost but they made sure the game was close. Good memories.

Was that game played after we'd raised enough money to save the club? I remember a carnival sort of attitude that day.

[Bulldog4life]

Was that game played after we'd raised enough money to save the club? I remember a carnival sort of attitude that day.

Not sure when it was TD. Yes it was a carnival type atmosphere with various activities for the kids.

[bornadog]

Was that game played after we'd raised enough money to save the club? I remember a carnival sort of attitude that day.

Pretty sure it was part of save the dogs.

[Twodogs]

Pretty sure it was part of save the dogs.

It was organised as part of the fund raising is right but by the time the game came around they had announced the target had been met and it was like a big celebration type of atmosphere (not attitude) on the day of the game. Was the parade down Barkly street the next day?

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Ted Whitten has lived inside me since my boyhood life in Footscray in the 1950’s. I baulked at this thread surprisingly but now I realise I don’t want to let him out completely. A few impressions will suffice:
-Two white wrist bands that etched the movement s of his hands
-He was manifestly the leader of the Footscray team of white red and blue doing great things for the team every game, protecting ,enforcing, goaling, kicks of such grandeur that the crowd applauded and lauded
-A kick on his left over his right shouder running away from goal between the flank and wing that goaled ;
-A mark high above the pack and a flickpass whilst still in the air that hit a Bulldog on the chest and bounced off before the player realised what was happening
-Ruggedness, slaps across the face against South Melbourne yet walking off with his arm around Bobby Skilton’s shoulders
-His last game missing a goal from close range and the crowd going aaahhh then kicking a mighty barrelling torpedo from a long way out for a goal and the crowd going aaahhh.

[Bulldog4life]

http://australianfootball.com/clubs/...%20Bulldogs/14



This is not written by me but when I read BID's post about Teddy's white wrist bandages I remembered he played most of his career with a broken scaphoid bone.What more can you say.


My .... memories of EJ are of a brilliant footballer who would shake the ball in mid air after he had taken a mark. It was his way of saying "this is mine". It was an almost arrogant action and must have infuriated rivals. I also recall that he invariably wore a crisp white bandage on one wrist. I learned later that he played for much of his career with a broken scaphoid bone, the bane of many a footballer. Whitten had brilliant skills and the old clips of him in action reveal a footballer blessed with natural talent. He would win possession, shoot out a handpass, and then run to shepherd a team mate. His work rate was phenomenal in an era of mark and prop football.

Read more at the above link.

[Smads57]

I also tried to avoid this thread but I can't, as Ted was my father's hero and therefore mine. I was at his last game against Hawthorn as a 14 year old standing in the wet and just remembering how HE inspired that great win. He was Footscray.

[bornadog]

I also tried to avoid this thread but I can't, as Ted was my father's hero and therefore mine. I was at his last game against Hawthorn as a 14 year old standing in the wet and just remembering how HE inspired that great win. He was Footscray.

I was standing right near you, or somewhere there getting drenched.