June 17 marked 25 years since E.J. Whitten took one final lap of the MCG and the football world farewelled a legend.
June 17, 1995: a day to remember for 64,186 fans at the MCG. Victoria took on South Australia in a State of Origin clash – and won – but it was ‘Mr Football’ who stole the show.In the final stages of his battle with prostate cancer, 321-game Footscray legend and Victorian hero EJ ‘Ted’ Whitten mustered the strength to appear one last time on the hallowed turf in front of an emotional crowd.
Whitten’s son, Ted Whitten Jr, accompanied his father on the historic lap of the boundary but said that it almost didn’t go ahead.
“The night before, he was so sick and frail that he said he wasn’t going to be able to do it. We called the AFL and cancelled,” Whitten Jr said.
“The next morning he arose determined to go through with it, no matter how sick he felt. We called the AFL to let them know he was good to go and it was back on.”
Whitten’s battle with prostate cancer tragically ended exactly two months later, when the 61 year-old succumbed to the illness on August 17.
In 1996, Whitten was among the first cohort of inductees into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, and was immediately elevated to Legend status.
Whitten’s battle with prostate cancer inspired the formation of the E.J. Whitten Foundation, which advocates for men’s health awareness and raises funds for cancer research.