Bennett played six games for South Australia in 1979 and 1980 including two State-of-Origin carnivals in Adelaide in 1979 and Perth in 1980.
Playing as a ruck-rover he was named South Australia's best player for his performance against Victoria at Football Park in mid 1979.
Bennett was a regular at Hawthorn in the 1980 VFL season, but had the rest of his time at the club ruined by injury.
After crossing to St Kilda in 1985 he managed to add a further 14 games to his tally and the following season became captain-coach of Tasmanian Football League club Sandy Bay and won the 1986 William Leitch Medal.
A teacher and school principal Bennett contested the 1998 state election as a Labor candidate for Denison but was unsuccessful.