Inducted: 1997
Sports: Australian Football
Born Manjimup W.A.
21 May 1938 – 4 June 2024
John Todd burst into league football in Perth on 23 April 1955 when he lined up at half-forward for South Fremantle against East Perth, at Fremantle oval.
This debut match was six months after he had made a first up appearance for South Fremantle in the 1954 reserve grade Grand Final against Perth. He kicked seven goals from the half-forward flank in a display of talent that suggested that there was much more to come.
In 1955 Todd continued in the same vein from that stunning maiden effort, starring as a centre man or rover as he swept all before him in a triumphant march through 21 rounds of qualifying football, climaxing with victory in the Sandover Medal. Aged just 17 years and four months, he is the youngest player ever to win the award.
In 1956, soon after his 18th birthday, Todd suffered serious damage to his right knee, an injury that had a long-term deleterious effect on his playing career. Despite having to wear a cumbersome brace to keep his shattered knee together, Todd went on to tally 132 games for South Fremantle and 13 for Western Australia.
He was a member of the historic WA team that won the Australian Championships in Brisbane in 1961, where he earned All-Australian selection. The same year he won South Fremantle’s fairest and best award for the third time.
After retiring in March 1965, he made a surprise return in the traditional Foundation Day Derby on Monday 6 June,1966 against East Fremantle, at Fremantle Oval.
He was now coaching South Fremantle, but the long absence of 22 months from playing did not prevent him from gathering 19 kicks and two goals from a half-forward flank in a winning effort; it was a grand cameo by one of football’s most gifted and majestic players. However, it was certainly not the end of his football involvement.
He first coached South Fremantle in 1959, at the raw age of 20; was re-appointed for the 1966-67-68 seasons and returned to Fremantle Oval for a third stint from 1995-98, which included a Premiership in 1997. In between, he coached East Fremantle to the 1974 Premiership, Swan Districts to Premierships in 1982-83-84 and 1990, and the West Coast Eagles in 1988-89, taking them to their first finals campaign in 1988. In total, he coached 721 games and his six Premierships is the most by any WA coach since 1931 when the final four system was introduced. He also coached WA on 13 occasions and was Australian coach for composite rules games versus Ireland in 1984 and 1986.
