Ted Saultry

Ted Saultry was a VFL field umpire in the years immediately after the Second World War an association he cherished and continued through his life.

Edmund Charles Saultry was born in Caulfield on 24 February 1926 and grew up in Albert Park and Port Melbourne. He played football for Port Melbourne Thirds in the Coburg District Football League.

After beginning umpiring with the Victorian Amateurs in 1944 he transferred to the Victorian Football Association for 1945 before applying for the VFL Senior List in 1946. He was accepted and began his career on 11 May at Ararat in the Wimmera League.

Country football was just getting back to its pre-war strength as various leagues re-started. Ted toured Victoria amassing 68 VCFL matches between 1946 and 1951. This included an eighteen-month leave of absence from June 1947 and all 1948.

Ted did not make the Second Eighteen competition but did officiate in five country finals. His last three matches were the Alberton League First-Semi, the Tyrrell League First-Semi and the Clunes League Grand Final. Ted retired at the end of the 1951 season.

In 1998 Ted became the 'Voice of Port Melbourne' when, at the behest of his brother and Port Melbourne President Peter, he took the role of ground announcer at TEAC Oval. Harking back to his umpiring days, he took special trouble to make sure umpires from each discipline were announced by name when they entered the ground at each Port Melbourne home match or VFL Grand Final at Princes Park.

Ted Saultry passed away on 24 August 2009.