John Platten

John Patrick Platten (born 17 March 1963) is a retired Australian rules footballer.

Platten's career began in the SANFL, where he won a Magarey Medal with Central District, and also with Hawthorn, where he played in four premierships and won the 1987 Brownlow Medal. Platten remains a popular and respected figure at both clubs and is also an inductee in both the AFL and SANFL Halls of Fame.

Career

Platten was born in South Australia. He began his career with Central Districts in the SANFL, commencing in the junior ranks in 1979 and making 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.

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" because of his diminutive frame and unruly tangle of curly hair, he was a distinctive if unlikely-looking footballer. Despite this, he enjoyed a career that 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 Hawthorn 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 all together 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 was a notable attendee at Centrals early 2000s premiership successes, an achievement he was never to enjoy with his boyhood club.

Platten played 107 games for Central District in the SANFL, for a career total of 365 games in elite football, and was also the club's best and fairest in 1984 and 1985, as well as its leading goalkicker in 1981 and 1985. He also won All-Australian selection five times: from 1985 to 1988, when the team was selected based on interstate carnival performances, and in 1992 when the team was selected based on AFL premiership performances.

Other matches Platten also played 31 pre-season/night series games - six with Centrals and 25 with Hawthorn (these are considered senior by the SANFL but not the VFL/AFL) - as well as 17 State Of Origin matches for South Australia and six International Rules matches for Australia. If these are considered, Platten played a total of 419 career senior games.

The VFL/AFL lists Platten's total as 394, excluding his pre-season/night series games with Hawthorn.

Post-playing career Platten also competed in the Gladiator Team Sports Challenge in 1995.

Platten later coached country football in South Australia.

As of 2014, Platten was running his own business called The Safety Hub, specialising in the supply of safety equipment.

Playing statistics

Led the league for the Season only*Led the league after finals only*Led the league after Season and Finals* 10 games required to be eligible.

258 228 213 3850 1619 5469 681 486 0.9 0.8 14.9 6.3 21.2 2.6 2.1

Honours and achievements Brownlow Medal votes Season Votes 1986 14 1987 20 1988 12 1989 20 1990 11 1991 13 1992 11 1993 3 1994 14 1995 5 1996 15 1997 5 Total 143 Key: Green / Bold = Won

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 Brownlow Medal: 1987 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.