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      Western Bulldogs
Footscray   Peter Box   Footscray

Number:

  5 Footscray

Western Bulldogs

Red white and Blue

Height:

  179

Weight:

   

Birthday:

  22 March 1932

Period on list:

  1951 to 1957

Senior Games:

  107

Goals:

  43

Disposals:

   

Recruited From:

  Cheltenham
Honours:   1956 Brownlow Medal, 1954 Premiership, Victorian State representative 1955, 1955 Best and Fairest. Best First Year Player 1951.
  Peter was more interested in tennis as a youngster and didn't play football between the ages of 15 and 17. He had a go with Cheltenham Football club then was invited to play with Footscray reserves.  

Footscray

 He burst into senior ranks in 1951 with everybody declaring him a star of the future. Then tragedy struck, he came off his motor bicycle in an horrific accident, crashing into the back of a car with his cousin Alan Pickering on the back. He suffered bad head and leg injuries with skin grafts necessary to his leg. He was in the Royal Melbourne Hospital for three months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Western Bulldogs It kept him out of football for about two years but by the end of 1953 he was holding down centre-half-forward position, using his pace, superb ball handling and magnificent leap to beat his taller opponents.

  
   He was moved in to the centre and played even better, winning the Best and Fairest in 1955. He was a fine high mark and brilliant ball handler. Early in 1956 he was an early favourite to win that year's Brownlow Medal.  
     
   He played exceptionally well all year and was given encouragement by his team mates to continue playing well. The Best and Fairest award was won by Don Ross in 1956. On a September night there was a knock on Peter's door by a neighbour who had heard on the radio that he had just won the Brownlow Medal.  
     
   He was 24 year old and he didn't handle winning the Brownlow Medal too well. Peter was a perfectionist and always demanded of himself 100% effort. He never gave it, his form slumped, halfway through 1957 he quit and went to play for VFA side Camberwell. Became captain-coach of that side.  
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 He concluded that his fall from form was because he was the unconventional type, a bit of a loner and slightly arrogant after the Brownlow win. In more modern times players have programs to deal with such issues.