Australian Football

Playing either in the centre or as a defender, Ernie Walton was a key member of Carlton's late VFA and early VFL teams. Skipper of the Blues in 1898 and 1899, he also represented the VFL in intercolonial and interstate matches. A skilful player who handled the ball well and was an excellent place kick, Walton was a shining light for Carlton in an era that did not yield much in the way of success. In his debut season of 1894, for example, the Blues only managed two wins, and the club's eventual admission to the VFL three years later was less a tribute to its on-field playing strength, which remained negligible, than a matter of expediency relating to its geographical location near the heart of Melbourne.

In Walton's11th and last season, however, and Carlton's eighth in the VFL, the club finally emerged from the doldrums by qualifying for the finals for the first ever time. With Walton in a back pocket, the Blues scored a nail-biting three-point win over Essendon in a Semi Final before succumbing to Fitzroy by four goals in the premiership decider. Presumably feeling content that the club was, at long last, in a position of emerging strength, Ernie Walton retired. He later served Carlton in a variety of administrative roles.

Author - John Devaney