Edward James Whitten Jr. (born 15 March 1957) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played for Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL). As the son of

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

legend Ted Whitten Sr., Whitten was in the media spotlight from a very young age and was expected to achieve big things and follow in the footsteps of his father. As a youngster in junior leagues, he was put on a heavy tag, solely due to his name. Whitten made his debut in 1974 at his father's club, Footscray, but was only recruited after rumours circulated that he was considering joining rival team South Melbourne. In 1974, Whitten made his VFL debut at 17 years of age, and while he could not live up to the high standards set by one of the greatest footballers of all time in his father, Whitten turned out to be a very good player. He represented Victoria in State of Origin and went on to play 144 games and kick 133 goals between 1974 and 1982. His career was terminated in the 1982 season after he suffered a terrible anterior cruciate ligament injury. In later years, Whitten helped set up the

EJ Whitten Legends Game The E. J. Whitten Legends Game was an annual Australian sports entertainment Australian rules football match. It is played for charity played as an all-star game. Retired star players are reunited, along with selected non-footballing celebrities ...

, a charity football match which raises funds for

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

research. (His father died from prostate cancer.)

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* Western Bulldogs players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) 1957 births Living people {{AFL-bio-1950s-stub