Ern Utting

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Ern Utting

| image = Ern Utting 1925.jpg

| caption = Utting in May 1925

| fullname = Ernest Benjamin Utting

| birth_date = 31 October 1897

| birth_place = Collingwood, Victoria, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|1948|11|21|1897|10|31|df=y}}

| death_place = Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

| originalteam = Collingwood District{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243474085 |title=Points of the Play |newspaper=The Herald |issue=13,508 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=23 May 1919 |page=8}}

| height = 166 cm

| weight = 73 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1932

| years1 = 1919–1922

| club1 = Collingwood

| games_goals1 = {{0}}16 (29)

| years2 = 1923–1924

| club2 = Hawthorn (VFA)

| games_goals2 = {{0}}24 (16)

| years3 = 1925–1932

| club3 = Hawthorn

| games_goals3 = 101 (28)

| games_goalstotal = 141 (73)

| careerhighlights =

2× Hawthorn best and fairest: 1927, 1929
Collingwood leading goalkicker: 1920
Hawthorn Hall of Fame

}}

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).{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 |last=Holmesby|first=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim |year=2009 |edition=8th |isbn=978-1-921496-00-4 |publisher=BAS Publishing |location=Seaford, Victoria}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/368081 |title=Discovering Anzacs: Enest Utting |publisher=National Archives of Australia}} 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.{{cite book | author=Cullen, Barbara | title=Harder than football : league players at war | year=2015 | page= 224 |publication-date=2015 | location=Richmond, Victoria | publisher=Slattery Media Group | isbn=978-0-992379-14-8}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.hawkheadquarters.com/player.aspx?playerid=17&view=default |title=Ernest Utting |publisher=Hawk Headquarters |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606101310/http://www.hawkheadquarters.com/player.aspx?playerid=17&view=default |archivedate=6 June 2011 |df=dmy }}

Death

Utting died suddenly at his home in Hawthorn in 1948{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22707770 |title=Former VFL Star Dies Suddenly. |newspaper=The Argus |date=23 November 1948 |page=16}} and is buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery.

Honours and achievements

Individual

2× Hawthorn best and fairest: 1927, 1929
Collingwood leading goalkicker: 1920
Hawthorn Hall of Fame
Hawthorn life member

References

External links

{{AFL Tables|ref=E/Ernest_Utting.html}}
[http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Utting,_Ern_'Tich'.php Ern Utting's playing statistics] from The VFA Project

Category:1897 births

Category:1948 deaths

Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne

Category:Collingwood Football Club players

Category:Hawthorn Football Club (VFA) players

Category:Hawthorn Football Club players

Category:Peter Crimmins Medal winners

Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria

Category:Australian military personnel of World War I

Category:Military personnel from Melbourne

Category:Burials at Melbourne General Cemetery