He played his first senior game with Kedron at 16 years of age and was soon the permanent Centre Half Back.
Following service with the RAAF in WW2, he returned to Kedron and in 1947 was selected to play for Queenland at the National Carnival in Hobart. He continued his great form and was runner-up in the Tassie Medal for the Best Player at the carnival, and naturally attracted the attention of several Victorian Clubs at the time. Fortunately, Erwin chose South Melbourne.
He signed with the Swans for a 13 week trial prior to the 1948 season and was then named on the Swans 1948 Senior list under coach Bull Adams. He also made history as the very first Queenslander to play football at the elite VFL.
His debut game was the first game of the season against Collingwood at Victoria Park in front of 47,000 people on Easter Monday. He was given number 17, which is currently worn by Irishman Tadgh Kennelly, and he lined up on the Half Back Flank alongside his mentor Gentleman Jim Cleary.
He had a great first season with South scoring 11 points in the Brownlow Medal.
After five seasons with the Swans his knee problems got the better of him, having been runner-up in the Swan’s Best & Fairest and named Best Clubman twice.
He followed the traditional nomadic path as Captain Coach of several country sides including Leeton in the Riverina, Catani in Gippsland, before returning to Melbourne and McKinnon in the Federal league where the team won three consecutive premierships.
He remained involved with South Melbourne through the Past Players Group, even serving as a President in 1981.
He was proud when, in 2003, he was invited by the AFL to go to Brisbane, as part of the Queensland team of the Century. Despite failing health and those dodgy knees, he was so proud to be standing on stage alongside the likes of Jason Dunstall, Jason Akermanis, Mal Michael, Mick Nolan, Nick Reiwold and Michael Voss.
He died on Tuesday September 23, at 82 years of age.
