14 Facts About Ken Thornett

Ken Thornett represented the Kangaroos in twelve Tests during 1963 and 1964 and on the off-season Kangaroo Tour.

John Thornett was a Wallabies captain who played 37 rugby union Tests for Australia over a distinguished 13-year career from 1955.

Dick Ken Thornett represented Australia at water polo, rugby league and rugby union.

Ken Thornett began his career playing first grade rugby union with Randwick DRUFC, and was the youngest player ever to be selected to play in a first grade union side.

Ken Thornett was initially expected to sign with South Sydney upon a proposed return to Australia for the 1962 season, however negotiations with the Rabbitohs fell through and he signed with Parramatta.

Ken Thornett played only seven games in that first season, but the resultant six wins and a draw from those games lifted Parramatta to their first-ever finals position, following eight "wooden spoons" and a paltry 20 percent win record in all matches of the previous ten seasons 1952 to 1961.

Ken Thornett played regularly with Parramatta from 1963, and totalled 136 games for the club.

Ken Thornett was the prominent Australian rugby league fullback in the early 1960s after Keith Barnes, and before Les Johns and Graeme Langlands.

Ken Thornett played in all six Tests of the 1963 Kangaroo tour and in 10 minor tour games.

Ken Thornett made a further six Test appearances and by the end of his representative career in 1964 had played three Tests each against Great Britain and New Zealand, five against France and one against South Africa.

Ken Thornett captain-coached Parramatta in 1965 and 1966, but a dispute with the club saw him seek a transfer to Eastern Suburbs, but the blue and golds would not release him from the two years remaining on his contract without a large transfer fee.

Ken Thornett returned for one season under Ian Walsh in 1971 and helped Parramatta rise from last to fourth.

The western grandstand of Parramatta Stadium was named the Ken Thornett Stand in his honour.

In February 2008, Ken Thornett was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.