Even though the Hawks Museum has been closed now for 10 months due to COVID-19, our loyal fans still make time to donate memorabilia to the Club Collection.
Laurice Boak, who was accompanied by her son Rhys, is to be thanked for donating her late brother Eric Houghton’s Victorian Football Association blazer, worn during the 1956 Australian Football Carnival in Perth, Western Australia.
The National Football Championship Carnival was a nine-day event and was held every four years, each time in a different State. The carnival was set up to showcase the skills of Australian Rules Football. Specially selected teams represented South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, with two sides representing Victoria - the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Eric Houghton was selected to play in the ruck with the VFA. He is one of only three Box Hill players ever named to play in a Carnival along with Colin Love and Ron Irvine.
Eric played 92 games for Box Hill in the VFA during the period 1951 till 1957, mostly as a more-than-useful ruckman. He was born on August 18, 1933 and died on December 18, 2018, aged 85. During his time with Box Hill, his coach was Col Austen who is now credited as Hawthorn’s first Brownlow Medallist. Austen tied with South Melbourne player, Ron Clegg in 1949, but lost on a countback. Forty years later, in 1989, the AFL amended its rules to provide for multiple winners in the case of a tie.
After retiring from Box Hill, Houghton moved to country Victoria and coached the Bright Football Club in the Ovens and King League for one year. His legacy to football in the Bright area continues to this day. In 1958 he was the driving force in introducing underage junior football to the township of Bright for the local lads to play.
He then returned to Melbourne and joined Doncaster in the Eastern District Football League and later served as captain and coach in 1961–62. His strong play in the ruck saw him win the 1962 Chandler Medal, the EDFL’s Best and Fairest award.
Houghton was offered the position of Captain-Coach at East Burwood, a successful club in the EDFL. He accepted and led the team to back-to-back premierships in 1963 and 1964. Eric announced his retirement shortly after and moved to Warrandyte where he became involved with the local club, coaching promising young players for well over 15 years. Houghton was greatly valued by the Warrandyte Football Club and was awarded Life Membership for his long service to junior football.
Of all the premiership medals and club awards that Houghton amassed during his football career, it was the blazer he wore in the ANFC in 1956 that he cherished the most.
The Hawks Museum is very proud to be able to place this blazer on display in the Box Hill Cabinet.
