John Burns (Australian rules footballer)

John Burns
Personal information
Date of birth	10 August 1949
Original team(s)	East Launceston (NTFA)
Height/Weight	178 cm / 85 kg
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1970–1973 1973–1978 1979	East Perth North Melbourne Geelong	71 (31) 95 (68) 17 (10)
^1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1979 season.

John Burns (born 10 August 1949) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1970s.

Prior to joining North Melbourne, Burns played with East Launceston in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association with whom he won both the competition and club Best and Fairest in 1969. That year he also represented the Tasmanian interstate team at the Adelaide Carnival. From 1970 he spent four seasons with East Perth and played in their 1972 premiership side. While in Western Australia he represented the state in two interstate matches.

A centreman, Burns crossed to North Melbourne in 1973 and went on to play in three successive Grand Finals, culminating in a premiership in 1975. He performed well in the 1975 Grand Final, kicking four goals. In both 1975 and 1976 he polled well in the Brownlow Medal, finishing as North Melbourne's second biggest vote getter each year. He finished his career with a brief stint at Geelong.

External links

• John Burns's statistics from AFL Tables
• John Burns's profile from AustralianFootball.com