Ern Henfry- Modest Perth Champion

The Perth Football Club is delighted that Ern Henfry's outstanding contribution to our great game over five decades has been recognised by his elevation to the Australian Football League's Hall of Fame.

He is  the third Perth champion to receive the honour. The others are star ruckman Merv McIntosh and dynamic rover Barry Cable, who is one of a select group of AFL Legends.

Coincidentally Ern, who played his first senior game for Perth in 1937, aged 16 years and 49 days, was closely involved with "Big Mac" as a teammate - initially in 1939 under captain-coach Austin Robertson senior - and as Barry's first senior coach in 1962.

Ern grew up in Victoria Park, attended Perth Modern School and was a gifted sportsman. He told me that as a young man, the WACA Ground was his "second home". In addition to playing football there in winter for Perth, he quickly won a place in the East Perth (now Perth) first grade cricket team as wicketkeeper.

In his first full football season in 1939, he started to make his mark, being selected in the WA side on the half forward flank, and being named among the best players. Ern had a big year in 1941, winning Perth's fairest and best, being runner up in the Sandover Medal to Hadyn Bunton senior, and enlisting in the RAAF, later flying Catalinas north of Australia as part of the war effort.

By this stage he had developed into a tallish (182cm) highly skilled centreman whose pace and evasiveness, combined with rare kicking and disposal abilities, made him a "general of the midfield".

While on leave in Melbourne in 1944 he played two games with Carlton. That was enough! The Blues were determined to recruit him post war. Transferred to Melbourne by his bank, he was forced to sit out the 1946 season because of a clearance wrangle. The next season he was Carlton's skipper, a post he held for six seasons.

In fact in 1947 he tied for Carlton's fairest and best with that year's Brownlow medallist, Bert Deacon, and led the Blues to a thrilling one point premiership over Essendon. In 1949 Ern went one better, being appointed captain of the Victorian state side and winning Carlton's fairest and best.