Jack Beaton

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Jack Beaton
fullname = John Beaton

---

caption =
position = rlp|FE
dateofbirth = 1914
placeofbirth = Yass
countryofbirth = Australia
dateofdeath = death year and age|1996|1914
height =
weight =
club1 = Eastern Suburbs
year1start = 1934
year1end = 1938
appearances1 = 38
tries1 = 18
goals1 = 62
fieldgoals1 = 0
points1 = 178
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1934
yearAend = 1937
appearancesA = 13
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 45
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1936
yearBend = 1938
appearancesB = 10
triesB = 1
goalsB = 14
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 31
source = [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Jack_Beaton.html Rugby League Project] and [http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Jack-Beaton_875.aspx Yesterday's Hero]

John Beaton (1914-1996) was an Australian rugby league player, a national representative of the 1930s whose club career was played with Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club. He has been named amogst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century. [ [http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players Century's Top 100 Players] ]

Early life and club career

Originally from Yass, New South Wales, Beaton moved to Sydney where he attended St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, enjoying a successful schoolboy rugby union career. Beaton took up a role as captain with a country side in Lismore, New South Wales, before moving back to Sydney the following season to join up with the Eastern Suburbs club.

Beaton, who was better known as a fullback or centre was an extremely versatile player who could play anywhere in the backline. From his debut with club in 1934 till his retirement at the end of the 1937 season Easts lost just 4 matches. He played in some of the Tricolours greatest teams during his brief career, winning 3 premierships with the club and was runner-up in his only other year. Beaton retired at just 24 years of age to take up a business opportunity.

Representative and honours

He was first selected for New South Wales in 1934 and made 13 appearances up til his retirement in 1937. Beaton played in ten Test matches for Australia debuting against England in 1936. He was selected for the 1937 Kangaroo tour, played in all five Tests plus 22 minor matches and returned as the tour's top point-scorer with 124points(6 tries and 53 goals).

In February 2008, Beaton was named in the list of Australia's "100 Greatest Players" (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL tocelebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. [cite web|publisher="NRL & ARL"|title=Centenary of Rugby League - The Players| url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23] He had previously been named as a reserve in Eastern Suburbs 'Team Of The Century'.

ources

* Middleton, David "Rugby League Yearbook"
* Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) "The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players", Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

References