Ernie Coward

Ernie Coward
Personal information
Full name	Ernest Coward
Date of birth	27 January 1916
Date of death	5 April 1985(1985-04-05) (aged 69)
Original team(s)	West Perth
Height / weight	170 cm / 67 kg
Position(s)	Wingman
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Ernie "Sonny" Coward (27 January 1916 – 5 April 1985) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Coward was originally from West Perth and along with his team-mate Wally Buttsworth had to spend the 1938 season on the sidelines while waiting for a clearance to Essendon. He soon established himself as a wingman in Dick Reynolds's strong Essendon side of the early 1940s and appeared in three consecutive Grand Finals from 1941 to 1943, with a premiership in 1942. The Western Australian was runner-up in the 1944 Essendon Best and Fairest count. A VFL representative in 1945, Coward played a total of 11 finals matches with Essendon during his career.

Tasmanian club Scottsdale secured his services as captain-coach in 1949, after he had played three seasons at Maryborough.

References

• Ernie Coward's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.