Platten was born in
South Australia. He began his career with Central Districts in the
SANFL, commencing in the junior ranks in 1979 and making his league debut in 1981. Platten immediately made an impact with Centrals, becoming a full State Representative in 1982, and continued to be a regular in the state team throughout his career. Platten's greatest achievement at Centrals was his 1984
Magarey Medal win. Platten was recruited to Carlton but after a protracted legal case eventually joined Hawthorn for the 1986 season. Keeping the number 44 on the back of his guernsey, he went on to play for the Hawks from 1986 to 1997, playing 258 games and kicking 228 goals. Nicknamed "The Rat" because of his diminutive frame and unruly tangle of curly hair, he was a distinctive if unlikely-looking footballer. Despite this, he enjoyed a career that saw him firmly established as one of the best players of the 1980s and early '90s. He was a gutsy
rover who won a
Brownlow Medal in 1987, tying with
Tony Lockett. He played in four VFL/AFL premierships with Hawthorn, in 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1991, and a
State of Origin Carnival Championship for
South Australia in
1988. In 1998, Platten retired from Hawthorn and made a dramatic return to Central District along with
Gilbert McAdam, another of the Bulldogs' all-time greats. Platten kicked the match-winning goal of his comeback match against Glenelg at
Elizabeth Oval, however, injury plagued his long-awaited comeback and he retired from football all together after sustaining a knee injury mid-season. His return to Elizabeth Oval was not the success it was hoped for but was a joyous event for long-time Centrals fans regardless. Platten was a notable attendee at Centrals early 2000s premiership successes, an achievement he was never to enjoy with his boyhood club. Platten played 107 games for Central District in the SANFL, for a career total of 365 games in elite football, and was also the club's best and fairest in 1984 and 1985, as well as its leading goalkicker in 1981 and 1985. He also won
All-Australian selection five times: from 1985 to 1988, when the team was selected based on interstate carnival performances, and in 1992 when the team was selected based on AFL premiership performances.
Other matches Platten also played 31 pre-season/night series games - six with Centrals and 25 with Hawthorn (these are considered senior by the SANFL but not the VFL/AFL) - as well as 17 State Of Origin matches for South Australia and six International Rules matches for Australia. If these are considered, Platten played a total of 419 career senior games. The VFL/AFL lists Platten's total as 394, excluding his pre-season/night series games with Hawthorn. ==Post-playing career==