Eric Arthur Gardner (27 June 1881 – 24 May 1905)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

The younger brother of Corrie Gardner, Eric was a long kicking forward.

He played as a wingman and missed out on playing in Melbourne's 1900 premiership side, in his debut season, through injury.

[2] He entered Trinity College (University of Melbourne) in 1900, where he was a member of the football team that won the 1902 intercollegiate premiership,[3] and also participated in athletics, winning the 120-yard hurdles and coming third in the long jump and at the University sports day in 1902.

This Australian rules football biography of a person born in 1881 is a stub.