The rugby league community is deeply saddened by the passing of renowned South Sydney forward John Sattler. Between 1967 and 1971, Sattler, one of the toughest players in NRL annals, led the Souths to four championships. Let’s look at John Sattler’s cause of demise in more depth and how the legendary rugby league player passed away.
How Did John Sattler Passed Away?
South Sydney legend John Sattler passed away on March 20, 2023, at the age of 80. When the Rabbitohs defeated Manly in 1970 grand final, Sattler notably competed despite having a fractured jaw. South Sydney honored John Sattler as one of their greatest players and a representative of the club’s illustrious past after his demise.
John Sattler Cause Of Demise
We lament having to inform you of John Sattler’s passing. Many people believed John Sattler to be amiable. Given the recent news, many people must be curious to know what lead John Sattler demise.
The rough moment that hard-nosed front-rower John Sattler experienced while risking his life for his squad was the 1970 Grand Final. In the first ten minutes, Manly’s John Bucknall punched Sattler, breaking his mandible three times. Sattler played the entire game, leading his squad to victory while hiding their terrible wounds from them. However, as we have sadly observed in recent years, players from those generations have suffered from severe health problems.
Sattler’s health significantly deteriorated in recent years as he battled dementia soon after having a stroke. However, because there was less public knowledge of concussions and their harmful effects back then than there is now, it has cost athletes.
Who Was John Sattler?
John Sattler played rugby league football professionally and for the national side during the 1960s and 1970s. John Sattler’s family moved from Telarah, New South Wales, where he was born in 1942, to Kurri Kurri when he was 12 years old. His paternal grandfather, Peter Sattler, was a German refugee who arrived in Maitland, New South Wales, at the age of 6 in the late 1890s.
Career
After being appointed Souths’ captain in 1967, he guided Souths to four premiership victories in the following four seasons—1967, 1968, 1970, and 1971. He also led his team to the Grand Final in 1969, where they lost to Balmain. Despite having the ability to play lock forward, he excelled and earned championships and national recognition as a prop forward.
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