A ruckman and follower originally from St Kevin's College,[1] Whelan joined Brunswick and played his first senior football there in 1947.
As a player, he was unremarkable in his early years, and his preference to play without glasses meant that his near-sightedness limited his vision to about thirty yards.
His rapid rise led to his selection as captain of the VFA team at the 1950 Interstate Carnival, despite not even holding the position of vice-captain of his club.
In 1951, Whelan received offers of coaching roles at different clubs, but ultimately remained at Brunswick and accepted the captaincy.
[8] He trained with and sought a clearance to Victorian Football League club Melbourne in the 1954 pre-season, but retired before the season after breaking down with a knee injury.