Australian Football

Archetypal "blond bombshell" Peter Eakins burst onto the WANFL football scene with Subiaco in the opening round of the 1966 season when, although shaded on the day by East Perth's Mal Brown, he displayed enough skill and poise to serve notice of a noteworthy career in prospect.

Tall, strong and perfectly balanced, Eakins could also kick the ball a proverbial "country mile", was an excellent spoiler, and would become one of the primary ingredients in Haydn Bunton junior's rebuilding programme at the club, which began with his arrival in the coaching hot seat in 1968. That same season, Eakins made the state team for the first time, while the following year saw him achieve his career highlight, victory in the Tassie Medal (jointly with South Australia's Graham Molloy), after a sequence of performances of great verve and authority at the Adelaide carnival.

Consistently eye catching performances at interstate level were increasingly becoming passports to the VFL at this time, and it was small surprise that the 1970 football season saw Eakins relocating to Melbourne, where he lined up with Collingwood. The Magpies reached the Grand Final that year, losing one of the most famous VFL Grand Finals of all time to Carlton after leading by more than seven goals at half time. In common with many of his team mates, Eakins was a conspicuous performer during the first two quarters of the game, but faded badly in the second half.

It was a similar story with his VFL career: after a promising start, a succession of injuries undermined his performances, and after just three seasons and 32 games he returned home to Subiaco. Unfortunately, however, the pressure and intensity of VFL football had taken their toll, and after just one senior and three reserves appearances he was forced into premature retirement, aged just 26.

Author - John Devaney