VICTORIA gave their ailing hero Ted Whitten a memorable gift in thrashing South Australia by 63 points in Saturday's Australian Football League State of Origin match in Melbourne.
In an extraordinary display of public emotion, 64,000 MCG spectators gave Whitten a standing ovation as he circled the ground in an open car before the match.
The Vics then dominated the game to win 18.12 (120) to 8.9 (57).
Almost blind and battling cancer and the effects of a mild stroke, Whitten repeatedly gave his trademark 'Stick it up 'em' chant complete with arm gestures as he circled the cheering stadium.
A 29-time Victorian representative, Whitten, 61, played more than 300 games for Footscray, starring in virtually every position to gain a reputation as one of the game's all-time greats. Until diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, he had been Victorian chairman of selectors for the past eight seasons.
After the crowd tribute, Whitten visited the change rooms to once more give his own special message to his beloved team. Victoria's coach Rod Austin said it was obvious in the rooms before the game the players wanted to win for Whitten.