Australian Football

As the immediate successor to Tom Leahy as the acknowledged premier ruckman in South Australia, Reg Whitehead inevitably attracted comparisons with his predecessor, many of them not strictly favourable, at least initially. This is hardly surprising, as Leahy was one of those extraordinarily rare individuals who achieved legendary status while still playing. As Whitehead’s career went on, however, it soon emerged that he, too, was a fine ruckman, if not quite in Leahy’s class (who has ever been?) then arguably only a rung or two below the very top bracket. 

Despite being somewhat wiry and lightweight in build, he was extremely, sometimes excessively, physical, perhaps feeling that he needed to impose himself in order to acquire the respect of his often heftier opponents. He led Sturt’s rucks between 1919 and 1928, during which time he played 122 senior games, and kicked 48 goals. He was a key member of the Double Blue premiership sides of 1919 and 1926, and captained the club during his final season. For much of his Sturt career he played alongside brother Charlie, who was an almost equally accomplished, if rather more attacking, ruckman. 

Originally from Mitcham, Whitehead was often described in the contemporary press as dominating in the ruck in matches against the VFL - a far cry from how things would become in later years - and rarely put in a bad match during an interstate career which saw him play 20 times for South Australia, kicking 13 goals. Reg Whitehead would doubtless have come under serious consideration for inclusion as first ruckman in Sturt’s official ‘Team of the Century’, a position which eventually went to Rick Davies.

Author - John Devaney