John Platten

Club

Representative

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.

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