Ted Rippon

Edward Charles Rippon
Edward Charles Rippon
Born	Template:Birth date; Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia
Died	December 12, 1991 (aged 77)
Occupation(s)	Australian rules footballer, policeman, sports commentator
Years active	1933–1945 (football)
Known for	Playing for Essendon and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League; football commentator on 3AW and HSV 7

Edward Charles Rippon (29 April 1914 – 12 December 1991) was a notable Australian rules football player who represented Essendon and subsequently St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Family

Born on 29 April 1914, Edward was the son of Edward Charles Rippon (1869–1946) and Florence Georgina Rippon (née Kenney; 1876–1964). He entered into marriage with Jen Brenda Watson on 26 November 1938.

Football

Rippon was first recruited by Carlton from Cheltenham; however, injuries impeded his advancement, preventing him from breaking into Carlton’s senior squad. In 1933, he moved to Essendon and made his senior debut against St Kilda on 22 July during Round 13. Recognized as a dependable and industrious ruckman, he participated in 69 senior matches for Essendon and received the club’s Most Serviceable Player accolade in 1935. Due to his frequent falls following aerial contests, he earned the nickname "Autumn Leaves."

During 1939 and 1941, Rippon also played for Carlton’s Second XVIII but did not reach their First XVIII team. Alongside his football career, he served as a policeman between 1935 and 1945 and competed in midweek matches representing the Police Force team.

His VFL playing career concluded with St Kilda, where he appeared in 17 senior games across the 1944 and 1945 seasons.

Essendon

From 1950 until 1956, Rippon held the position of vice president on the Essendon Football Club Committee. He was among the pallbearers at the funeral of his business colleague John Coleman on 9 April 1973.

Media

Following his football career, Rippon became a commentator for football broadcasts on Melbourne’s radio station 3AW and featured on HSV 7’s television program World of Sport.

References

Dunn, J., "Barefoot Boy 'Picked On' — Profile: Ted Rippon", The Argus, 21 August 1951, p.11.
Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, Melbourne, 1996.
Miller, W., Petraitis, V. & Jeremiah, V., The Great John Coleman, Nivar Press, Cheltenham, 1997.

External links