Ted Whitten

Ted Whitten
Statue of Whitten outside Whitten Oval
Personal information
Full name	Edward James Whitten
Nickname(s)	EJ, Ted, Mr Football
Date of birth	(1933-07-27)27 July 1933
Date of death	17 August 1995(1995-08-17) (aged 62)
Original team(s)	Braybrook/Collingwood Amateurs
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1951–1970	Footscray	321 (360)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
1956–????	Victoria	29 (4)
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1957–1971	Footscray Representative Victoria	228 (91–137–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1970. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1971.
Career highlights
Club 5× Charles Sutton Medal: 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961 4× Footscray leading goalkicker: 1961, 1962, 1964, 1968 All-Australian team: 1954 VFL premiership: 1954 Footscray captain: 1957–1970 Representative 3× National Football Carnival championship: 1956, 1958, 1966 4× All-Australian team: 1954, 1956, 1958, 1961 Tassie Medal: 1958 Simpson Medal: 1957 2× Victoria captain/coach Overall AFL Team of the Century – (captain) Australian Football Hall of Fame - Legend status (inaugural legend) Sport Australia Hall of Fame - Legend status (inaugural legend)
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Club

Representative

Overall

Edward James "Ted" Whitten OAM (also known as E. J. Whitten) (27 July 1933 – 17 August 1995) was an Australian rules footballer who represented Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL), and Victoria in interstate football. Recognised as one of the game's all-time greatest players, he was one of twelve inaugural "Legends" inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, and in 1996, was voted captain and centre half-back in the AFL's Team of the Century.

Nicknamed "Mr. Football", Whitten was a folk hero in Melbourne's working class western suburbs, admired not only for his footballing abilities, but his showmanship and larrikin streak. He played in Footscray's first VFL/AFL premiership in 1954, and ended his senior career in 1970 having played 321 games, a VFL/AFL record that remained unbroken for four years. Apart from club-level football, Whitten was a significant exponent and promoter of State of Origin, representing his state in 29 matches. After retiring as a player, Whitten turned to coaching, and continued to contribute to the game as a popular commentator and media personality.

Western Oval, the Footscray Football Club's home ground, was renamed Whitten Oval in his honour. His enthusiasm for State of Origin football is marked by the E. J. Whitten Legends Game, a charity match held annually since 1995.