John Todd (footballer) - Playing Career

Playing Career

Todd first came to notice when he scored 7 goals in South Fremantle's reserve grade WAFL premiership. He made his senior debut the following year aged 16 years and 336 days, one of the youngest and played in every league game, winning both the Sandover Medal and South's best and fairest award. Aged 17 and 4 months when he beat Graham Farmer by 4 votes in the 1955 Sandover Medal count, he was the youngest ever winner apart from Laurie Bowen in 1942 during the restricted under age seasons during World War II.

Five games into Todd's second season, shortly after he turned 18, a pack of players collapsed on his left leg during a match. Todd suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that was unable to be repaired with the medical techniques of the time. Wearing a special leg brace he was able to continue playing but only had two more seasons in his career that were not affected by injury. He won the South Fremantle best and fairest award in each of these years, 1958 and 1961 and also was selected in the All-Australian Team following Western Australia's successful 1961 Brisbane Carnival performance. Todd played a total of thirteen state games for Western Australia between 1955 and 1962, kicking 25 goals.

He was appointed the playing captain-coach of South Fremantle in 1959 but relinquished the position in 1960. He retired from playing in 1964 and was reappointed coach in 1966. He made a comeback to the playing field in June 1966 in the Foundation Day Derby but retired again soon after, finishing with 132 games.

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