Ted Whitfield
| Ted Whitfield | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Edward Carlyle Whitfield | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1916 | ||
| Date of death | 7 September 1993 (aged 77) | ||
| Original team(s) | Coburg (VFA) | ||
| Debut | Round 12, 1939, South Melbourne vs. Carlton, at Lake Oval |
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| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1939–1945 | South Melbourne | 54 (11) | |
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1945.
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Edward Carlyle "Ted" Whitfield (13 June 1916 – 7 September 1993) was an Australian rules footballer, playing with South Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Born in North Melbourne, Whitfield was recruited by South Melbourne from Victorian Football Association (VFA) side Coburg Football Club and made his VFL debut in Round 12, 1939 against Carlton at Lake Oval, South Melbourne's home ground.
A wingman, Whitfield was considered a live wire, both on the ground and off, who appeared "to march to a different drum." Part of his match preparation was to drink six beers every Saturday morning before a game, followed by another at half-time, a habit he had been following since he was sixteen and as it had served him well thus far, Whitfield was in no mood to change it.
Whitfield was also in the habit of wearing his football gear under his street clothes to the ground to save time getting changed before the game, although one time when he was particularly late he explained to the coach he had been entertaining a lady friend and had let time slip away. He was forced to change in the back of a taxi on the way to the ground but claimed that the lady friend was able to greatly assist him as she had plenty of experience removing his clothes in the back seat of a car.
Whitfield enlisted in the Australian Army on 28 August 1941, gaining the rank of Gunner and serving with 115 Australian General Hospital until his discharge from the services on 19 June 1942. This led to his absence from VFL football for the best part of three seasons, until his return to South Melbourne in 1944.
Never one to shy away from a fight, Whitfield was reported a number of times throughout his career, including in three separate matches in 1945. However, Whitfield was one of South Melbourne's leading players in 1945 and was a key reason for South Melbourne's dominance of the competition throughout the season.
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