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Allan Melvyn "Mel" Whinnen MBE (born 6 October 1942) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Perth Football Club in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL) from 1960 to 1977. Whinnen played 367 premiership games for West Perth, a WAFL record, playing in four premiership sides and finishing runner-up in the Sandover Medal on two occasions, as well as winning West Perth's best and fairest award, the Breckler Medal, on a record nine occasions.

He was inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2004, and elevated to 'legend status' in 2023.

Career

Educated at North Perth Primary School and Perth Boys High School, Whinnen debuted for West Perth in 1960 and was a reserve in the club's 1960 premiership win over East Perth at Subiaco Oval. Playing mainly as a centreman, Whinnen established himself in West Perth's league team, winning the Breckler Medal in 1962 and 1964 as the club's best and fairest. He also finished second in the Sandover Medal in 1964, polling 22 votes to finish one vote behind Barry Cable, the winner. Whinnen made his state debut for Western Australia against the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1963. Whinnen won West Perth's best and fairest award in both 1967 and 1968, and again in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975. In total, Whinnen won the Breckler Medal a record nine times between 1962 and 1975.

Whinnen again played in premierships in 1969, 1971 and 1975. In 1975, he was awarded the Simpson Medal as the best on ground in West Perth's premiership defeat of South Fremantle. Whinnen was appointed as captain of West Perth for the 1977 season and retired at the end of the year.

Whinnen's 367 career premiership matches are both a West Perth club record and a WAFL record as of 2022, and also remained the West Australian elite football record until it was broken by David Mundy in Round 17 of the 2021 AFL season.

Other matches

Whinnen also played 14 interstate and carnival football matches for Western Australia, and four pre-season/night series matches for West Perth (these are counted as senior by the WAFL, but not the VFL/AFL). If these are included, Whinnen played a total of 385 senior career games.

Whinnen's total of career senior games remained a West Australian elite football record until it was broken, depending on the viewpoint taken:

• Using the VFL/AFL's totals, by David Mundy in Round 12 of 2022.
• Including VFL/AFL pre-season/night series matches but excluding International Rules matches, by Mundy in Round 11 of 2021, having been equalled by Matthew Pavlich in Round 23 of 2016 (also his last game).
• Including International Rules matches, by Pavlich in Round 20 of 2016, and subsequently by Mundy in Round 14 of 2021.

Honours and awards

Whinnen was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in June 1976, for "services to sport", along with former teammate Bill Dempsey. In October 2000, he was named in the centre in West Perth's Team of the Century. Whinnen was an inaugural inductee of the West Australian Football Hall of Fame in March 2004. One of the entrance gates at Subiaco Oval is named after Whinnen, and a grandstand at Arena Joondalup, West Perth's home ground since 1994, is named the Whinnen–Dempsey Stand in honour of the two players' contribution to the club. Since 1998, the Mel Whinnen Medal has been awarded to the player judged best on ground in the grand final of the WAFL's colts (under-19) competition. Notable winners have included Paul Hasleby, Scott Stevens, Jacob Surjan and Matthew Leuenberger.

References

1. These tallies refer to premiership matches (home-and-away and finals matches) only.
2. Primary School makes the heritage grade Archived 30 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine – Ministerial Media Statements. Fran Logan. Published 1 December 2005. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
3. Premiership players 1931–2008 – wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
4. ^ Mel Whinnen (West Perth) Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine – FullPointsFooty. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
5. State games 1951–2010 – wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
6. West Perth Football Club Medallists Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine – West Perth Football Club (Inc). Retrieved from iinet.net.au, 3 February 2012.
7. Cardies Hang On Archived 25 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine – FullPointsFooty. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
8. History – West Perth Football Club/ Retrieved 3 February 2012
9. Supplement to the London Gazette, 12 June 1976 – London Gazette. Published 12 June 1976. Retrieved from an online source, 3 February 2012.
10. West Perth Official 'Team of the Century' Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine – FullPointsFooty. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
11. Hall of Fame Inductees – wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
12. Patersons Stadium history Archived 13 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine – wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
13. MEMBERS RESERVED SEATING Archived 21 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine – West Perth Football Club. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
14. Whinnen Medalists Archived 4 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine – wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 3 February 2012.

External links

• Allan Melvyn (Mel) Whinnen player profile page at WAFLFootyFacts

• 1942 births
• Living people
• Australian rules footballers from Perth, Western Australia
• West Perth Football Club players
• West Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees
• Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire
• Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees