Footscray Whitten Oval Snap

The Footscray Whitten Oval Snap vintage inspired travel poster by Kerrie Gottliebsen is dedicated to Footscray’s iconic Whitten Oval, originally Western Oval.

The artwork reminds me of an old footy card, which were popular when I grew up in the 1970s. It features a backdrop of the geometric Whitten Oval building and Ted Whitten soaring through the air.

Teddy Whitten History

Whitten played his very best football as a key position player, either at centre half forward or centre half back. Described as a prodigious kick, a flawless mark, and as having unequalled ground and hand skills, he played 321 VFL games for his beloved Footscray between 1951 and 1970 (a record at the time which stood for almost a decade). He was dubbed ‘Mr Football’ by Ron Barrassi, another legend of the game because of his extraordinary skill and all round ability.

He kicked 364 goals between 1951 and 1970 and won Footscray’s best and fairest on five occasions, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961. He was captain of Footscray from 1957 to 1970 and was captain-coach of Footscray for 13 years from 1957 to 1966 and 1969 to mid1970 (including the 1961 grand final side), then non-playing coach from mid1970 to 1971. As a player he participated in their only premiership in 1954 under captain-coach Charlie Sutton. He was the club’s leading goal kicker four times, 1961, 1962, 1964(tied), 1968. In 1957 he won the Simpson Medal (WA) and in 1958 he tied with Allen Aylett for the Tassie Medal.

Whitten grew up in the western suburbs of Braybrook and Footscray in Melbourne. As a youth he played for Braybrook on Saturdays and Collingwood Amateurs on Sundays; he was urged by the Collingwood Amateurs coach, Charlie Utting (a former Collingwood VFL star) to try out for the Collingwood team but was told later to come back in a few years after building up body strength. Within 12 months he was playing for Footscray, the team he had always supported.

His debut in 1951 is part of football folklore. Opposed by renowned hard man Don ‘Mopsy’ Fraser of Richmond, the young Whitten politely offered his hand prior to the opening bounce only to receive a sharp kick in the ankles in return. Undeterred, Whitten goaled after marking early in the first term, which did not go down well with ‘Mopsy’ whose retaliation this time was even more pronounced – Whitten had much to reflect upon that night as he lay in his hospital bed!

Whitten Oval poster

The print comes in A4, A3 A2, A1 and A0.