John Farragher OAM (born 1 April 1957) is an Australian former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1970s. He played for the

Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...

, as a .

Playing career

A Gilgandra junior, Farragher was graded by the

in the 1977 season. Penrith coach

Barry Harris Barry Doyle Harris (December 15, 1929 – December 8, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. He was an exponent of the bebop style. Life and career Harris was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December ...

gave Farragher his first grade debut in the 1978 season. He made his first grade debut in his side's 9−8 loss to the

South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...

Redfern Oval Redfern Oval is an Australian football ground, in the Sydney suburb of , New South Wales, Australia. The South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Football Club played at Redfern Oval between 1948 and 1987. Rabbitoh supporters often refer to Redfern ...

in round 4 of the 1978 season. On 28 May 1978, in just his seventh appearance in the top grade, against the

Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSW Cup competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season. The Jets' home ground ...

Henson Park Henson Park is a multi purpose sports ground in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia. History It was established in 1933 on the site of Daley's brick pit, Thomas Daley operated the Standsure Brick Company from 1886 to 1914. The brickworks ...

in round 10 of the 1978 season, a collapsed scrum during the first half left him seriously injured. It was later revealed that he had dislocated his neck and damaged his spinal cord, and whilst surgery was able to correct the neck dislocation, he would become a

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...

Post playing

In the aftermath, a trust fund was set up to provide him with the financial support needed for the rest of his life. After extensive rehabilitation, Farragher returned to work at Panthers Leagues Club in 1982, taking on a role in public relations to greet and assist the club's members and guests. He still continues to hold that role, with his charm, warmth, and unwavering passion for the Panthers making him a most popular and recognizable character among the club's patrons. In 2016, he was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for his ongoing services to rugby league.

References

1957 births Australian rugby league players Living people Penrith Panthers players People with tetraplegia Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Rugby league players from New South Wales Rugby league props {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1950s-stub