Ian Johnston (rugby league)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ian Johnston | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 March 1927 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1 February 2013 (aged 85) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ian Johnston (1927−2013) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s, and coached in the 1960s. He played for Parramatta Eels and Western Suburbs Magpies as a centre. Johnston was the first ever Parramatta player to represent Australia.
Johnston was born and raised in Newcastle, New South Wales and played his junior rugby league before joining the newly admitted Parramatta side in 1948. In 1949, Johnston became the first Parramatta player to represent Australia when he was selected to tour New Zealand and featured in one match. Johnston was also selected to play for New South Wales in the same year and played in three matches scoring two tries. Johnston later became the first Parramatta player to reach 100 points in the NSWRL competition but his time at Parramatta was not very successful and was part of the sides that claimed the 1952 and 1954 wooden spoons. He left the club briefly in 1953 after a dispute with club management and went as player coach for one season in Young.[2] This was a successful season and Young won the Clayton Cup.[3] After leaving Parramatta, Johnston moved to Maitland and played a season in the local Newcastle competition before returning to Sydney and signed with Western Suburbs. Johnston spent two seasons at Wests before retiring as a player.[4]