Peter Fitzgerald (born 1951) is an Australian former

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s.

Career

Remembered as a ferocious tackler and originally from

Canowindra, New South Wales Situated on the Belubula River, Canowindra (List of names in English with counterintuitive pronunciations, pronounced ) is a historic township and largest population centre in Cabonne Shire, New South Wales, Cabonne Shire and is located between ...

, Peter Fitzgerald came to

St George Dragons The St. George Dragons is an Australian rugby league football club from St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales competition and Australian Rugby League competitions from the 1921 until th ...

as an 18-year-old in 1969 on the recommendation of Ian Walsh. He gave great service to

in the seven seasons that he played for them between 1969–1975, which included his appearance in two (losing) Grand Finals of

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

and

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, and many semi final appearances. After the Grand Final defeat in 1975, Peter Fitzgerald moved to

Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...

for one year in 1976 and re-united with his former coach

Jack Gibson Jack Gibson may refer to: * Jack Gibson (rugby league) (1929–2008), Australian player and coach * Jack Stanley Gibson (1909–2005), Irish physician * Jack Gibson (ice hockey, born 1880) (1880–1955), ice hockey player and executive * Jack Gibson ...

. Fitzgerald finished his career at

Port Kembla A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

where he captained the team to win the 1980 Wollongong premiership under the coaching of his old friend and ex team-mate,

Graeme Langlands Graeme Frank Langlands, MBE, (2 September 1941 – 20 January 2018), also known by the nickname of "Changa", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. and coached in the 1970s. He retire ...

. Peter Fitzgerald has been in the real-estate business in Wollongong for many years and still resides there.Alan Whiticker/Glen Hudson: Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players 1995 ()

References

1951 births Living people St. George Dragons players Sydney Roosters players Australian rugby league players Rugby league second-rows Date of birth missing (living people) Rugby league players from New South Wales {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1950s-stub