Don Whitten (16 September 1935 – 28 December 2021) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
| Don Whitten | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 16 September 1935 | ||
| Date of death | 28 December 2021 (aged 86) | ||
| Original team(s) | Braybrook | ||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Centreman | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1956–1958 | Footscray | 24 (3) | |
| 1961–1963 | Yarraville | 56 (80) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1968. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Whitten, who played for Footscray in the under-19s, joined his brother Ted in the senior team in 1956.[1] He played 24 games over three seasons with Footscray, often as a centreman, then in 1959 joined Western District Football League club Casterton as coach.[2][3]
He coached Casterton to a premiership in 1960, but was then replaced in the role by two-time Essendon best and fairest winner, Reg Burgess.[3][4]
Instead, Whitten played for Yarraville in 1961 and was a member of their premiership side that year.[1][5] He captained the club in 1963, a year in which he finished second in the J. J. Liston Trophy, to teammate Ron Clegg.[6]
From 1964 to 1968, Whitten was coach of Tocumwal in the Murray Football League.[7][8] During his tenure, Tocumwal made three consecutive grand finals and won the premiership in 1967.[9]
Whitten died on 28 December 2021, at the age of 86.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
- ^ "Don Whitten". AFL Tables.
- ^ a b Casterton News, "Whitten Returns" Archived 14 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, 30 July 2013, Ian Lewis
- ^ The Age, "A lift for the Cats", 10 June 2012, Adam McNicol
- ^ The Age, "Don Whitten", 10 April 1961, p. 9
- ^ The Age, "Yarraville Players Dominate Liston Voting – Clegg Wins", 30 August 1963, p. 1
- ^ The Age, "Whitten's fitness key to result", 2 September 1966, p. 12
- ^ "TFC Honour Roll". Fox Sports Pulse.
- ^ "Tocumwal" (PDF). News Limited. (PDF)
- ^ "Whitten, Donald". The Weekly Times. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.