Born Perth W.A
24 July 1921 – 13 January 2007
Ern Henfry had a distinguished career as a champion centreman for Perth, Carlton, WA and Victoria between 1937 and 1954. He played 96 games for Perth and 92 for Carlton before turning to coaching – again with outstanding results.
Henfry first played for WA at the age of 17, captained Carlton to a premiership in 1947 and had the honour of leading Victoria in games against SA and WA in 1949.
He was barely 16 when he made his debut for Perth in 1937. He was 17 when he played twice for WA against Victoria at Subiaco Oval in 1939. In 1941 he won Perth’s fairest and best award and finished just one vote behind the legendary Haydn Bunton Sen. In that year’s Sandover Medal count.
Henfry then joined the RRAF and was discharged in August 1945.
After the war, ex-servicemen were entitled to obtain a transfer in their civilian occupation to anywhere in Australia. He opted to continue his banking career in Victoria, joining Carlton for the 1946 season.
However, the Perth Football Club refused to grant Henfry an immediate clearance and he had to wait until 1947 to make his VFL debut. He trained with Carlton throughout 1946 and made such a strong impression that the club made him captain in 1947 – an exceptionally high honour for a man in his first playing season with a VFL club.
The 1947 season was an unqualified success for Henfry, who led Carlton in the Grand Final, which they lost to Essendon. He continued with Carlton to the end of the 1952 season, remaining as captain in all six seasons with the club.
In 1953, he returned to WA as captain-coach of Perth, retiring as a player after only two games in 1954 but continuing as coach. His football career reached a climax in 1955 when Perth achieved a magnificent grand final victory over East Fremantle – their first in 48 years.
He coached Perth until the end of the 1959 season, took a short break and resumed in 1962 to the end of 1965. In 1961 Henfry coached the University amateur team to the A-grade premiership. Members of that team included three of WA’s most influential football administrators – Peter Tannock, Terry O’Connor and Kevin Edwards.