With his unmistakeable mop of lengthy, curly, flowing hair, John Platten was probably the most recognisable members of one of many nice groups in AFL historical past.
Platten performed 258 video games with Hawthorn between 1986 and 1998, successful 4 flags alongside a number of particular person honours, together with a Brownlow Medal, 5 All-Australian nods and a spot within the Hawks’ crew of the century.
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Sadly, he additionally suffered a sequence of head knocks – estimated to have incurred a daunting 36 concussions throughout his profession – and it’s having an enormous impression on his life.
The 60-year-old and his spouse Leanne have spoken out concerning the methods he has modified, with Leanne revealing she offers with “two Johns now”.
They additionally concern he’s coping with the degenerative mind illness known as CTE or power traumatic encephalopathy, which might solely be identified after demise.
“He has changed a lot,” Leanne Platten stated by means of tears on 7NEWS Spotlight. “His memory, he forgets things all the time.
“His temper, he has a very short temper. Never had that before, he was very easygoing. Just real little things will trigger him off … sorry, I’m very upset. Why am I doing this?”
John says he’s conscious of his temper swings and concedes Leanne tends to bear the brunt of it.
“I go through them and I say to myself ‘John, relax’. I take a deep breath and get myself back to normal,” he stated.
“It doesn’t come out when I’m with people, friends and family. Probably Leanne gets the brunt of it because she’s with me 24/7.”
The 1989 grand ultimate between Hawthorn and Geelong, when the league was nonetheless known as the VFL, is notorious for an enormous hit from Cat Mark Yeates on Hawthorn hardman Dermott Brereton.
There was one other first-quarter incident in that match, nevertheless, that left Platten concussed and out of the sport.
The ruck rover admits now he has no reminiscence of that sport, which is revered as one of many nice contests within the historical past of the game.
Gary Ablett kicked 9 targets for the Cats however was on the top of a six-point defeat in entrance of 94,796 followers on the MCG.
“To go back and watch that the next day and see me run out and play … it was pretty tough because it was a pretty special time for the other blokes,” Platten stated.
“And for me, I cannot remember it. I can’t remember going up to get my medal.
“I only played the (first) quarter and then I had to watch the game from the bench for the next three quarters, but I don’t remember.
“We talk about it now and we laugh about it, but deep down it does hurt.”
Leanne added it’s a common prevalence now for John to forgets issues which have occurred up to now, a typical symptom of CTE.
“It is hard, it’s hard he doesn’t remember things and even now it’s just something we need to live with at the moment I think,” she stated
“It’s not easy. It’s reality, really. We feel like we are in this.”
Lawyer Michel Margalit launched a class-action lawsuit within the Supreme Court of Victoria in March this yr on behalf of footballers who suffered concussions and head knocks within the AFL between 1985 and 2023.
John Platten is amongst greater than 100 footballers within the go well with, with Margalit looking for greater than $2 million in damages for a few of these worst affected.
Margalit has said that $1 billion is a practical goal total for the go well with.
Leanne Platten stated she now has to dwell with two variations of her husband.
“My doctor told me I’m living with two Johns now, the old John and the new John,” she stated. “You have to support him through his anger and his memory loss.”
Originally printed as John Platten, spouse Leanne dropped at tears by footy star’s concussion actuality
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
