Peter Wheare

Peter Wheare began his senior football career with Arthurton as a 14 year old. Arthurton was where his brother Arthur lived, plus his Dad wanted to see him playing there. By the time Peter was 16 and possessing a driver’s license he transferred to Ardrossan and made his A grade debut for them in the opening round of the 1962 season.

Ardrossan were only an average team at the time Peter joined them, and winning games were very rare. They turned that all around in 1965 playing in the next eleven grand finals with Peter performing at his best in all of them as either a centre half back or ruck rover. Peter was a member of the Ardrossan premiership teams of 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974. Peter retired after Ardrossan claimed the 1974 premiership following an undefeated season. He made a brief comeback in the last few matches of the 1975 season to unfortunately play in a losing grand final.

Mark Carter dragged Peter off the golf course and talked him into playing again in 1980. Two more seasons and two more losing grand finals and Peter retired for good this time with 271 games to his credit that included just the one B grade game.

Peter won the Mail Medal in both 1972 and 1973, he was runner up in 1969 and finished in third place in 1968, 1971, and 1974 where he shared third place with his cousin and teammate John Wheare. Peter won six Ardrossan best and fairest awards along with countless other awards. He won the coveted Caltex Award at the Croser Shield carnival in 1969. Peter captained the Yorke Valley side in 1972.

Peter’s work precluded him from playing at a higher level but he did have a few games with Norwood reserves in 1967 and 1968. Peter was also a good tennis player and more than handy cricketer making the country carnival team in 1969 as a batsman. In 1988 he was made a life member of the Ardrossan Cricket Club and retired from cricket in 1992 on the back of winning an A grade premiership.