Australian Football

Normally used at full forward, but also capable of playing as a rover, Peter Schofield had a somewhat shaky start to his senior football career, but eventually stamped himself as a high quality performer. He commenced at Richmond in 1951, but struggled to establish himself. Midway through the 1953 season, after 16 games and 25 goals for the Tigers, he transferred to Melbourne where he also struggled to make his mark, playing just half a dozen games for the year whilst scoring 14 goals. The 1954 season saw him at VFA side Moorabbin, a move that might reasonably be described as proving to be the making of him.

In his initial stint at Moorabbin Schofield spent three full seasons plus a couple of games in the fourth, playing 59 games and kicking 233 goals, with a season’s best of 96 in 1954. In a match against Sandringham that same season he registered no fewer than 22 majors.

Early in the 1957 season Schofield was given a third opportunity to succeed in the VFL when he was cleared to North Melbourne. It proved to be a classic case of third time lucky as he quickly established himself as a key member of the side, booting 111 goals from 50 games over four seasons, including a club list-topping tally of 47 goals in 1959. In a match against South Melbourne at Arden Street in 1960 he notched a VFL career high bag of eight goals.

Schofield finished his playing career with one last season at Moorabbin.

Author - John Devaney