Gippsland Falcons Hutchinson is one of the most highly lauded prospects to emerge from the
Gippsland Falcons youth setup. Hutchinson signed with the Falcons as a youth by coach Harry Bingham. He made his
National Soccer League debut for the club in February 1997, coming on as a substitute in a loss to
Marconi-Fairfield. On 2 January 2000 he scored his first league goal, the opener in a 1–1 draw with
Adelaide Force. Hutchinson played 89 NSL matches for the Falcons and made over 100 senior appearances for his hometown club. Despite the limited success of the final seasons of the Falcons, who were subsequently renamed Eastern Pride, Hutchinson received positive reviews for his performances for the club at a young age. Hutchinson was one of several players unpaid during the financial decline of the Spirit, and eventually was left clubless when the club folded in 2004.
Manly United Hutchinson next played for
Manly United in the
NSW Premier League, where he was club captain.
Central Coast Mariners Hutchinson made his competitive debut for the Mariners in qualifying competition for the
2005 OFC Club Championship, coming on at half-time against
Newcastle Jets in a match the Mariners eventually won in a
penalty shootout. Hutchinson came on in the final minutes of the
2005 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup final against
Perth Glory as the Mariners won their first ever piece of silverware in August 2005. Around this time, Hutchinson began to be used as a
forward, a role which saw him score six goals from six games, including a
brace against
Newcastle Jets in the
F3 derby. Hutchinson's season ended prematurely after picking up an injury in a match against Sydney FC. Hutchinson came on in
extra time in the
2006 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup final against
Adelaide United and converted his
penalty in the 5–4 loss in a
penalty shoot-out. Hutchinson's only goal of the
2006–07 season was the Mariners' first in the
2006–07 A-League, the opening goal in a 1-all draw with
Newcastle Jets. After recovering from a knee injury, Hutchinson became a key player for the
Central Coast Mariners, playing in central midfield with the likes of
Mile Jedinak and
Tom Pondeljak in
Version 3 of the A-League. This form led him to be named one of the most influential players in the A-League. On 28 October 2007, Hutchinson scored a double against
Sydney FC, with two strikes off either foot from outside the box, but was unable to prevent the Mariners suffering a 3–2 loss. The Mariners won the
2007–08 A-League Premiership, Hutchinson played his 100th A-League match in August 2009 - a 1–1 draw against Newcastle Jets - becoming just the second Mariner to achieve this milestone after
Alex Wilkinson. In 2011, Hutchinson was loaned to
Chinese Super League side
Chengdu Blades, under former Mariners coach
Lawrie McKinna and alongside fellow Mariner
Adam Kwasnik. Hutchinson scored his first goal for the side in a 2-all draw with
Changchun Yatai on 31 July 2011, having made his debut three weeks prior in a loss to
Shandong Luneng. Hutchinson came on as a substitute for
Mustafa Amini in the
2011 A-League Grand Final and scored a
penalty in the
shoot-out but it was not enough as the Mariners lost 4–2. Hutchinson was part of the Mariners side which won the
2011–12 A-League Premiership. He captained the side to its first ever A-League Championship, beating
Western Sydney in the
2013 A-League Grand Final. Hutchinson played his 200th A-League match on 5 April 2014 - a loss away to Perth. The
2014–15 season is Hutchinson's tenth with the Mariners. In November 2014, Hutchinson scored a goal in the 94th minute from outside the box to secure a 2-all draw for the Mariners with
Melbourne City, breaking a run of four consecutive losses. Hutchinson concluded his 10-year professional career with a 3–1 loss to
Melbourne Victory in the final round of the 2014/15 A-League season, capping of his 226th league appearance for the Central Coast. A testimonial match was held to conclude John's career on 23 May, attracting a crowd of over two thousand as to watch "Hutch's XI" versus the Mariners. The match yielded 17 goals, with "Hutch's XI" netting a dozen of those to win the match 12–5. He is currently the most capped Central Coast Mariners player, with over 200 appearances for the Gosford side. ==International career==