Ern Utting

Ernest Benjamin 'Tich' Utting (31 October 1897 – 21 November 1948) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[2]

Ern Utting
Utting in May 1925
Personal information
Full name Ernest Benjamin Utting
Date of birth 31 October 1897
Place of birth Collingwood, Victoria, Australia
Date of death 21 November 1948(1948-11-21) (aged 51)
Place of death Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
Original team(s) Collingwood District[1]
Height 166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight 73 kg (161 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1919–1922 Collingwood 016 (29)
1923–1924 Hawthorn (VFA) 024 (16)
1925–1932 Hawthorn 101 (28)
Total 141 (73)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1932.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

The tenth of thirteen children born to Thomas Edward Utting (1862–1942) and Emily Esther Utting (1863–1943), nee Bartley, Ernest Benjamin Utting was born at Collingwood on 31 October 1897.

War service

In 1915, shortly before turning 18, Utting enlisted to serve in World War I.[3] After completing training at Broadmeadows and then serving for five months overseas, Utting was returned to Australia from Egypt after he was diagnosed with a heart condition.[4]

Football

Ern Utting started his football career with the Collingwood District in the Victorian Junior Football League. Success as a forward in that team led to his selection by the Collingwood VFL (senior) team but he struggled to get consistent game time in what was a strong side, although he managed to top their goalkicking in 1920 with 23 goals. After four years with Collingwood he left the club and joined Hawthorn who were then in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).

Utting played for two seasons with Hawthorn in the VFA and was a member of Hawthorn's inaugural VFL side when they joined that competition in 1925. The Club Champion in 1927 and 1929, Utting was also the first Hawthorn footballer to play 100 VFL games. Playing mainly in the back pocket, he polled well in the Brownlow Medal during his career and finished in the top 10 on three occasions. He left the senior side at the end of 1932 but captained the seconds side in 1933, winning the Gardiner Medal for the reserve league's best and fairest player.[5]

Death

Utting died suddenly at his home in Hawthorn in 1948[6] and is buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery.

Honours and achievements

Individual

References
  1. "Points of the Play". The Herald. No. 13, 508. Victoria, Australia. 23 May 1919. p. 8.
  2. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2009). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (8th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921496-00-4.
  3. "Discovering Anzacs: Enest Utting". National Archives of Australia.
  4. Cullen, Barbara (2015). Harder than football : league players at war. Richmond, Victoria: Slattery Media Group. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-992379-14-8.
  5. "Ernest Utting". Hawk Headquarters. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  6. "Former VFL Star Dies Suddenly". The Argus. 23 November 1948. p. 16.
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