Todd debuted for Collingwood in 1935 and joined Gordon Coventry in the forward line. For his first three seasons Todd played at centre half forward but moved into the goalsquare when Coventry retired at the end of 1937. He had an immediate impact, kicking 102 goals in the 1938 home and away season before adding 18 more in the finals. In a game during that season against Carlton Todd kicked 11.5 yet ended up on the losing team. In another game, against Richmond, Todd kicked 7 goals and 12 points, as well as kicking out of boundson the full five times. His season tally was the highest in the league and Todd again topped the league in 1939 VFL season, this time finishing with 121 goals. His 1939 finals total of 23 goals was not bettered until Gary Ablett kicked 27 in the 1989 series. In the last home-and-away round against Richmond Todd brought up his 300th career goal, his 73 games equalled Bob Pratt's record for fewest games required to reach the milestone.
VFA career
Todd's VFL career ended when he signed up to play under throw-pass rules with VFA club Williamstown just before the 1940 season kicked off. Todd actually signed not with the club but with Williamstown Vice President, William John Dooley; his wage at Williamstown was £500 flat plus £5 per game on a three-year contract. Williamstown had sold membership tickets on the basis of the attraction of having Todd and Harry Vallence in the same side. Todd played at centre-half forward in his first season with Williamstown and booted 99 goals, and when the Victorian Football Association went into recess in 1942, Todd joined the air force. Despite an interest in returning to Collingwood when he spent some time in Melbourne on leave, a three-year VFL ban due to his crossing without a clearance made any return to the Magpies during the war impossible. When the VFA resumed competition in 1945, Todd moved to full-forward and kicked a record 188 goals for the season which still stands today, including 20 goals in a game against Oakleigh. In 1945, Todd also kicked 57 goals for an RAAF team in Sunday competition during the season, and after the VFA season finished, kicked nine goals for the RAAF in a match against a North Tasmania team and 16 goals for a combined Williamstown/Coburg team on a two match tour of Broken Hill, bringing his overall total for the year to 270 goals from 41 games. At Williamstown, Todd played 141 games for 672 goals, in the process playing in premiership sides in 1945 and 1949. In all, he played 217 games at Collingwood and Williamstown and kicked 999 goals. If his matches for Victoria, his 1942-1945 RAAF games and three tour games are considered, then he played 274 matches and kicked 1238 goals in his overall career.
Hotelier
After his retirement, Todd moved into business in 1951 by purchasing the Hotel Pacific in Lorne. He later moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland, and died in 1991.
Cricket
During his career, Todd was also a proficient district cricketer for Northcote during the summers, playing 117 first XI games over twelve seasons, taking 204 wickets with his leg breaks and averaging 33.6 with the bat.
