Quick Facts
Biography
Ernie "Sonny" Coward (27 January 1916 – 5 April 1985) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Coward was originally from West Perth and along with his team-mate Wally Buttsworth had to spend the 1938 season on the sidelines while waiting for a clearance to Essendon. He soon established himself as a wingman in Dick Reynolds's strong Essendon side of the early 1940s and appeared in three consecutive Grand Finals from 1941 to 1943, with a premiership in 1942. The Western Australian was runner-up in the 1944 Essendon Best and Fairest count. A VFL representative in 1945, Coward played a total of 11 finals matches with Essendon during his career.
Tasmanian club Scottsdale secured his services as captain-coach in 1949, after he had played three seasons at Maryborough.