John Platten

John Patrick Platten (born 17 March 1963) is a former Brownlow and Magarey medal winning Australian rules footballer, who played for Hawthorn and Central Districts in the 1980s and 1990s.

Platten's career in the game began in his native South Australia, where he won a Magarey Medal with Central Districts (Bulldogs), then continued with the Hawthorn Hawks team of the late 1980s and early 1990s; where he won four premiership flags; as well as a Brownlow Medal.

Platten remains a popular and respected figure at both clubs, where he enjoys hall of fame status. He is also an inductee in both the AFL and SANFL halls of fame.

Career

Platten was born in South Australia. He began (and ended) his career with Central Districts in the SANFL competition. A junior with Centrals, he commenced in the junior ranks in 1979 and made his league debut in 1981. Platten immediately made an impact with Centrals, becoming a full State Representative in 1982 and continued to be a regular in the State Team throughout his career. Platten's greatest achievement at Centrals was his 1984 Magarey Medal win along with two best and fairest awards (1984, 1985).

Platten was recruited to Carlton but after a protracted legal case eventually joined Hawthorn for the 1986 season. Keeping the number 44 on the back of his guernsey, he went on to play for the Hawks from 1986 to 1997, playing 258 games and kicking 228 goals. Nicknamed "The Rat" with his diminutive frame and unruly tangle of curly hair, he cut a distinctive if unlikely looking footballer, yet despite this he enjoyed a career which saw him firmly established as one of the best players of the 1980s and early '90s. He was a gutsy rover who won a Brownlow Medal in 1987, tying with Tony Lockett. He played in four VFL/AFL premierships with Hawthorn, in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991, and a State of Origin Carnival Championship for South Australia in 1988

In 1998, Platten retired from the Hawthorn Football Club and made a dramatic return to Central District along with Gilbert McAdam, another of the Bulldogs' all-time greats. Platten kicked the match winning goal of his comeback match against Glenelg at Elizabeth Oval, however injury plagued his long-awaited comeback and he retired from football altogether after sustaining a knee injury mid-season. His return to Elizabeth Oval was not the success it was hoped for, but was a joyous event for long-time Centrals fans regardless. Platten has been a notable attendee at Centrals recent premiership successes, an achievement he was never to enjoy with his boyhood club.

Platten now coaches country football in South Australia. He played 113 games for Central District in the SANFL and was the club's best and fairest in 1984 and 1985, and its leading goalkicker in 1981 and 1985. He won All-Australian selection five times: in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988, when the team was selected based on interstate carnival performances; and in 1992, when the team was selected based on AFL premiership performances. He also runs his own business called The Safety Hub; specializing in the supply of safety equipment.

Playing statistics

^[1]

*10 games required to be eligible.

Honours and achievements

Team

• AFL Premiership (Hawthorn): 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991
• McClelland Trophy (Hawthorn): 1986, 1988, 1989
• Night Premiership (Hawthorn): 1986
• Pre-season Cup (Hawthorn): 1988, 1991, 1992

Individual

• All-Australian: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992
• Peter Crimmins Medal: 1987, 1994

Other Achievements

• John Platten was one of 113 inaugural inductees into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2003 he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

References

External links

• Central District Football Club website
• Hawthorn team of the Century
• John Platten's statistics from AFL Tables
• John Platten's business