Eric Arthur Gardner (27 June 1881 – 24 May 1905) 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. He entered Trinity College (University of Melbourne) in 1900, where he was a member of the football team that won the 1902 intercollegiate premiership, 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. Gardner died young in 1905 while in Sweden.