John Todd, one of only six men to coach the West Coast Eagles, has passed away.
An icon of WA football, Todd was appointed senior coach of the Eagles in 1988 and in his first year led them to their inaugural finals campaign when a top five system was in operation.
The Eagles lost a thrilling elimination final to Melbourne by two points at Waverley Park.
He replaced Ron Alexander, who led the club to a remarkable 11-11 win-loss return in the Eagles' debut season.
Todd coached for only two seasons, himself being replaced by Mick Malthouse for the start of the 1990 season, as club powerbrokers sought a coach who could impart a “Victorian” brand of football on a highly-skilled team that was predominantly built from players out of the WAFL system.
The man who also led WA to Australian Championships in 1983 and 1986 was highly respected across the country for his achievements.
“John Todd was a key figure in making us the club that we are today,” Chief Executive Officer Don Pyke said.
“He was one of the club’s pioneers operating with no genuine home base and with a range of other obstacles in his path.
“He is a legend of the game and as a club we are extremely grateful for his contribution.
“On behalf of everyone at the club, I offer our deepest condolences to John’s family, friends and loved ones.”
A hard-nosed and uncompromising coach Todd was an iconic figure in WA football – emphasised by his induction into the WA Football Hall of Fame as a Legend.
As a player he was in the conversation as one of the top five ever seen in Western Australia.
At 17 he was the 1955 Sandover medallist, but a year later he was cut down by a serious knee injury that today would be repaired by undergoing an ACL reconstruction.
Todd battled through wearing a clunky brace on his left knee, but even after being hobbled to that extent he won a further two club fairest and bests for South Fremantle, to follow on from his first club award in 1955.
In both 1958 and 1961, when he was part of Western Australia’s famous Australian Carnival Championship winning team, and he was also all-Australian.
At just 21 years of age Todd was captain-coach of South Fremantle, the start of a remarkable coaching career that rivalled his on-field achievements.
He coached East Fremantle to the 1974 premiership, Swan Districts to a hat-trick of premierships from 1982-84 and then followed up with another in 1990.
He then returned to his roots in 1995 at South Fremantle and coached them to another premiership in 1997.
In August 2001 after returning to Swan Districts he became the first West Australian to coach 700 games.
