Born Manjimup W.A.
21 may 1938
John Todd burst into the 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 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.
Todd continued on in 1955 from that stunning maiden effort, starring as a centre man as he swept all before him in a triumphant march through 21 rounds of qualifying football, climaxing with victory in the Sandover Medal.
At 17 years of age, Todd suffered serious damage to his right knee, an injury that had long term deleterious effect on his football. Despite having to wear a cumbersome bandage to keep his shattered knee together, Todd went on to tally 132 games for South Fremantle and nine for Western Australia.
He was a member of the historic WA team that won the Australian Championships in Brisbane in 1961 and he earned All-Australian selection that year. The same year he won South Fremantle’s fairest and best award for the third time.
His playing career officially came to an end in a traditional Foundation Day Derby, on Monday 6 June,1966, against East Fremantle, at Fremantle Oval. It was a surprise appearance because Todd, as South Fremantle’s youngest coach, had not played a league game for 22 months because of his injury. That long absence did not prevent him from gathering 19 kicks on a half-forward flank in a winning effort; it was a grand farewell 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 in 1995 for a third stint which culminated with a premiership in 1997. In between, he coached East Fremantle to the 1974 Premiership and Swan District to premiership in 1982-83-84 and 1990, with a two year break as coach of the West Coast Eagles 1988-89.