During his playing career, Ted Whitten is widely considered one of the best players to pull on the famous red, white, and blue of the Western Bulldogs. Not only was Whitten a legend in Footscray, holding the club’s games record until it was broken in 1994 by Doug Hawkins, but his exploits as a Victorian representative, and champion of the State of Origin series are stuff of legend. Outside of Whitten’s passion for the Western Bulldogs, Whitten holds a place in the hearts of many Victorians for his work representing the Big V at State of Origin football, notably making 29 appearances during his playing career.
Whitten played 321 games over 19 seasons, all of which were spent playing for Footscray, and later went on to coach the club for an additional 228 games, but failed to find the same success as he did as a player, resulting in his eventual departure following the 1971 VFL season.
In his third season at the club, Whitten was a key player in Footscray’s first premiership win. In the Grand Final, Whitten was part of the defence that restricted a dominant Melbourne team, coached by the legendary Norm Smith and featuring Ron Barassi in his second season.
In 1961, Whitten kicked 42 goals, finishing as the Dogs’ leading goalkicker for the first time, and was 12 goals short of the tally that won the Coleman medal that year. Whitten would win the Bulldogs’ goal-kicking award four times during his career, including the 1961 season. He would also kick above 30 goals during the 1962 and 1968 seasons.
During his career, Whitten earned himself the nickname of Mr. Football and was not only named to the AFL/VFL team of the century at centre half back, but he could have been named to almost any position on the ground, such was Whitten’s versatility as a footballer. Whitten was also given the role of captain in a team full of legendary players and leaders who played in V/AFL over the previous century, including the likes of John Nicholls, Alex Jesaulenko, Royce Hart, and Ron Barassi, all of whom had captained their respective clubs to premiership glory.
Since his playing career ended, Whitten’s legendary legacy has been celebrated in multiple ways. He has been elevated to Legend status in the AFL and Australian Sports Halls of Fame, alongside other greats like Ron Barassi and Leigh Matthews. Following his death in 1995, a game in his honour was created and featured some of the best players to play the game. The memorial match ran annually from 1996 to 2019 and raised money for the EJ Whitten Foundation.
Whitten is such an integral part of the Western Bulldogs’ identity that the club’s home oval, formerly known as the Western Oval, was renamed in Whitten’s honour in 1995 following his death, and a statue of the former player, captain, and coach has been placed outside the stadium. Unfortunately for Whitten, many of his later seasons were spent at a team that languished at the bottom of the ladder.
Unlike some of the other players that have been profiled in this series, Whitten never received significant individual player accolades as defenders rarely earned votes in the Brownlow medal tally, nor did he have many opportunities to win a Coleman medal, as he would have rarely been in a position to kick many goals. However, Whitten did win the Bulldogs’ best and fairest award five times, including their 1954 Premiership season. He would also move up the ground in later seasons and won the Bulldogs’ goalkicking award four times, but he was at the peak of his powers as the rampaging centre-half-back that powered the Dogs to their first flag.
In one of the most famous moments in AFL history, Whitten’s last public appearance was made at a State of Origin game between Victoria and South Australia at the MCG. Despite being blind due to a stroke, Whitten and his son, Ted Whitten Jr, made their way around the ground in a lap of honour, with EJ waving to fans that he could not see, while the scenes were narrated to him by his son. A few short months after the State of Origin game, Whitten passed away due to complications resulting from prostate cancer.
Performances of Note
Footscray versus South Melbourne, Round 7, 1952
Not many details exist from Whitten’s career, as most of the games occurred before statistics were recorded, like disposals. However, in this Round Seven game in 1952, a young Ted Whitten kicked seven goals in just his 21st game as his team went down to South Melbourne. Whitten was Footscray’s only multiple goal scorer for the day, kicking 64 per cent of the team’s goals.
Footscray versus Melbourne, Grand Final, 1954
In a game that saw Whitten’s beloved Bulldogs win their first Grand Final. It was not so much about Whitten’s performance as an individual, but about the team’s success as a whole. He lined up at Centre Half Back for the Grand Final against Geoff McGivern. The Dogs defeated the reigning premiers, Melbourne, who were coached by the legendary Norm Smith and included another legend, Ron Barassi.
Footscray versus St. Kilda, Round 4, 1965
In 1965, Footscray would finish the season 10th, winning only four games for the entire season, and only escaped the wooden spoon with a win in the final game of the season. However, Whitten pulled off an incredible game earlier in the season in Round Four against the Saints. Against the team that finished first at the end of the season, he racked up 29 possessions and kicked four goals for the game.
Where does Ted Whitten sit on your list of all-time greats?
