Territory icon Ted Egan remembered for his legacy spanning music, sport and Indigenous righs
Territory icon Ted Egan has been remembered as a true entertainer, the best of blokes and for a sporting legacy that persists to this day. Read the tributes.
Beloved Territorian Ted Egan, known for his passion across politics, footy and entertainment has been remembered after he died peacefully at his own home in Alice Springs on Thursday.
Egan was the first captain of the St Mary’s Football Club, playing an integral role in the formation of what became the NTFL’s most successful club in 1952.
Saints were formed as a club to give Bathurst Islanders somewhere to play and his legacy continues today with Saints missing finals just three times since.
It was then that Vic Ludwig, who was club president for 40 years, met Mr Egan and they formed a friendship that lasted a lifetime.
“It’s a sad, sad day for the Territory when it loses a person like Ted Egan, we met in 1952 and have been friends for all those years since,” he said.
“He was one who started the club, was our first captain and played in our first premiership and remained a big supporter of the club for the rest of his life.
“He was never an AFL champion but he could play football all right, no worries about that, and he was the start of the legacy for us.
“We’ve now got great grandsons and great granddaughters still playing with St Mary’s from that time, we’re a family club and it’s still filtering down from day one.
“Entertainment is where he made his money, doing country music songs but more than anything he was a great bloke who always thought of the little man and never forgot where he came from.
“We kept in touch all the time, whenever he came to Darwin he’d come to the club, he got on very well with my wife too and we’d gone to his place in Alice Springs quite a few times too.
“I’ll always remember him as a good, good bloke and for me to say that means he was a good bloke and a real man’s man.”
Australian businessman Dick Smith remembered Mr Egan fondly, saying he was a “wonderful Territorian”.
“He’s just a wonderful person … I love his music, his music’s wonderful” Mr Smith said.
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Originally published as Territory icon Ted Egan remembered for his legacy spanning music, sport and Indigenous righs
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