Place of death Prahran | Years Club Name Wels Eicke | |
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Full name Wellesley Hastings Eicke Date of birth (1893-09-27)27 September 1893 Date of death 10 February 1980(1980-02-10) (aged 86) Role Australian Rules Footballer Died February 10, 1980, Prahran, Australia | ||
Wellesley Hastings "Wels" Eicke (27 September 1893 – 10 February 1980) was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
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Early life and career
Eicke was the younger son of George Augustus Eicke (died 28 March 1927) of St. Kilda, Victoria, and Jessie Forrester, eldest daughter of Thomas Thompson of Acheron, Victoria, grazier .
He was a talented young sportsman who was a champion swimmer at school level. In 1909, Eicke debuted with St Kilda at 15 years and 315 days old – becoming one of only six VFL/AFL footballers to have played at 15.
He married 11 March 1916 at Holy Trinity Church, Balaclava, to Alberta Maude, only daughter of A. E. Woodland of Caulfield, Victoria.
Football career
Eicke began his career playing as a rover, but became known as one of the VFL's greatest defenders. He was a fine kick and a great mark, despite being only 5 foot 9 inches (1.75 metres) tall. Eicke won the inaugural St. Kilda Best and Fairest in 1914, and went on to win it another two times. He was captain-coach of St. Kilda in 1919 and 1924. In Round 12, 1924, Eicke was notably the first of only three captains in league history to have called for a head count; the teams were even.
In 1925 he coached North Melbourne in their first year in the VFL.
Eicke was later a committeeman of the St Kilda Football Club. He resigned from the committee in 1964, due to his opposition to the club's move from the St Kilda Cricket Ground to Moorabbin Oval.
Death and posthumous honours
Eicke died in 1980 at the age of 86 in Prahran, Victoria. He was one of the inaugural inductees into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also inducted into the St Kilda Hall of Fame in 2007.