Footy champ reveals brain fear

Herald Sun

Mark Robinson

30th September, 2015

Ex-Hawthorn great John Platten. Picture: Michael Klein

FOOTBALL is scaring Hawthorn champ John Platten for the first time.

He fears that an estimated 40 concussions he suffered during his 18-year senior football career have scrambled his brain.

Platten, 52, says his short-term memory loss is “very scary’’, and he wonders if he is experiencing the early effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

The 1987 Brownlow medallist forgets the names of his children’s mates, repeats stories to wife Leanne, and forgets conversations he has had with her and with others.

J

ohn Platten in full flight for his 250th game against Port Adelaide in 1997.

“It’s embarrassing, not knowing their names,” Platten says.

“And it just doesn’t happen with those guys. It happens with my kids’ friends. I meet them, and then I see them the next week and I can’t remember meeting them.

“I still get a lot of headaches,’’ Platten says.

“I don’t want to be seen as a whinger, because it’s the consequences of playing the game.

“But I want to be able to see my grandkids and remember them.”

‘’I might go see a specialist and they might say nothing has showed up on the brain and that would be good.

‘’But if there’s something there, and you hear when they have tests on people’s heads or when they’ve had a car accident, and they talk about a shady spot, I want to find out.

‘’I don’t want to be seen as whinger because it’s the consequences of playing the game, but I want to be able to see my grand kids and remember them.

‘’In 10 years’ time I don’t want to be sitting here talking to you saying I wish I did something about it 10 years ago.’’

A concussed John Platten being taken back to the rooms during the 1989 Grand Final against Geelong.

Platten’s problems began about six months ago when Leanne noticed change in her husband.

He sounded distant and would then repeat himself.

The issue was made more pointed when, in June, the AFL Players Association contacted Platten and asked him a series of questions about his concussions, an initiative to ensure the players were treating their situation with great care.

Recalling the amount of concussions he had while playing for Central Districts (1981-1985) and then with Hawthorn in the AFL (1986-97) forced Platten to seek professional care.

“The most scary part was to write down the number of concussions I thought I had each year.

‘’It was about two a year for 18 years.

“I remember the days I would finish a game and I knew I was concussed because all I wanted to do was lie down.

“I did that on a lot of occasions. At times I just went home, other times I went to the hospital, I would leave games in ambulance.’’

Asked to describe playing with concussion, Platten said: “The worst concussion was 1989 in the Grand Final. Every other concussion I had, I knew I was concussed because it happened so often, I knew I had been hit. The games go quick and I didn’t really didn’t know what I was doing at the time.

Platten was know for never taking a backward step.

“The next day I would wake up with a splitting headache and watch some of the replay and I couldn’t remember doing anything that I was seeing.

“It’s scary because the game goes quick and when you came off all you wanted to do was sit down or lie down.

“And once I did that, I’d start spewing and depends how bad or not, I’d get into an ambulance.’’

His worst concussion was in the 1989 Grand Final against Geelong at quarter-time.

Sitting on the bench, Platten didn’t know the score of the game or whether he played.

He’s been told by club officials that the quarter-time break, while his teammates gathered in the huddle, Platten walked towards the middle of the MCG.

“The doc asked me what I was doing and I said: ‘I’m just going downstairs to get changed for the motorcade, the parade’, which was held the day before.

“I can’t remember driving to the game, I can’t remember Jeansy’s famous speech, I can’t remember anything.’’

Platten played 258 games for the Hawks, was a five-time All Australian and four-time premiership winner and was known for an incredible work rate and a fearless attack on the ball.