Wels Eicke

Wels Eicke
Personal information
Full name	Wellesley Hastings Eicke
Date of birth	(1893-09-27)27 September 1893
Place of birth	Prahran, Victoria
Date of death	10 February 1980(1980-02-10) (aged 86)
Place of death	Prahran
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1909–1924, 1926	St Kilda	197 (61)
1925–1926	North Melbourne	21 (0)
Total		218 (61)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
	Victoria	8
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1919–1924	St Kilda	32 (11–21–0)
1925–1926	North Melbourne	20 (5–15–0)
Total		52 (16–36–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1926. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1926.
Career highlights
St Kilda best and fairest 1914–1915, 1919 St Kilda captain 1919
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Wellesley Hastings "Wels" Eicke (27 September 1893 – 10 February 1980) was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

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.

External links

• Profile at Saints Hall of Fame
• Shinboner's Hall of Fame Wels Eike