Peter McKenna (born 27 August 1946 in

Brunswick West, Victoria Brunswick West is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business district, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Brunswick West recorded a population of 14,746 at the 2021 c ...

) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who represented Collingwood and

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL) during the 1960s and 1970s. He also represented Devonport in the

North West Football Union The North West Football Union (NWFU) was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football Asso ...

(NWFU), and Northcote, Port Melbourne and

Geelong West Geelong West is a commercial and residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. When Geelong was founded, the area was known as Kildare but its name was changed to Geelong West in 1875. The main street is Pakington Street. At the 2016 c ...

in the

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFA). Regarded as one of the best full-forwards to ever play the game, McKenna holds the VFL/AFL record for the longest sequence of matches in which he scored at least one goal: 121 matches. A moptop hairstyle, genial grin, and a gift for taking chest-high marks won McKenna adulation in the 1960s and 1970s as the game's first multimedia star. He continued his involvement in the game as a commentator with the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

during the 1980s and 1990s.

Playing career

McKenna was the second of five children to Winnie and Kevin McKenna. He grew up supporting and played soccer until he was 13. Recruited from West Heidelberg YCW, McKenna credited Collingwood coach Bob Rose for patiently helping to shape him into the champion footballer he was to become. In the opening round of the

1966 VFL season The 1966 VFL season was the 70th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 23 April until 24 September, and comprised an ...

against at

Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...

, McKenna gave a glimpse of what was to come when he kicked 12 goals in a match-winning effort, the first of thirteen occasions when he would kick ten or more goals in a game. However, McKenna's form dropped away; and, after being held goalless against in Round 6, he was dropped for the remainder of the season. Many full-forwards are quick on the lead, but the truly great ones seem to know instinctively how to get the maximum advantage from their leads by timing them to perfection. In this particular skill, McKenna has had few peers, and once he had gained possession of the ball, usually from a bullet stab pass from

Barry Price Barry Price (born 8 March 1949) is a former Australian rules footballer who played 158 games and scored 60 goals with Collingwood Football Club between 1969 and 1977. Price was a superb midfielder in a strong Collingwood outfit. Quick, dec ...

Wayne Richardson Wayne Richardson (born 8 December 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. Collingwood Football Club snared Wayne Richardson from South Fremantle Football Club in 1965 before he had made his se ...

, he almost invariably finished things off with consummate precision, typically using a kick with which the jury, at the time, was still out: the drop punt. McKenna topped the Magpies' goalkicking list for the first of eight consecutive times in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, booting 47 goals. Over the ensuing seasons, he gradually improved, kicking 97 goals in

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

, before amassing an incredible tally of 143 the following year. What was even more incredible was that it was not sufficient to top the VFL's goal kicking list;

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

Peter Hudson Peter John Hudson AM (born 19 February 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the New Norfolk Football Club and Glenorchy Football Club in the Ta ...

kicked 146 goals, adding a record-equalling 150 goals in

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 ...

compared to McKenna's tally of 134. From the start of the

1968 VFL season The 1968 VFL season was the 72nd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 15 April until 28 September, and comprised a 2 ...

to Round 3,

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

, McKenna kicked at least one goal in 121 consecutive games, still a competition record. Moderately disappointing though this doubtless was, what was almost certainly of more concern to McKenna was his failure to contribute towards a Collingwood premiership. The Magpies reached the grand final twice during his career—losing to St Kilda by a point in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, although McKenna did not play—and then squandering a half-time lead of 44 points against Carlton four years later. In that game, McKenna's misfortune in sustaining a concussion after colliding with teammate

Des Tuddenham Desmond Vincent Tuddenham (born 29 January 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s and 1970s. Early years and football career Tuddenham was born and raised in Ro ...

during the second term undoubtedly contributed greatly to Collingwood's second-half demise. Nevertheless, he finished the game with 6 goals, more than anybody else on the ground. Peter McKenna finally managed to head the VFL's list goalkicking with 130 goals to win the

Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals in the home-and-away season. It is named after Essendon full-forward John Coleman, one of the most ...

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

, a season which also saw him achieve

All-Australian The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...

selection after booting 19 goals in 3 games at the Perth carnival. The following year, McKenna's total of 86 goals was sufficient for him to claim pole position on the VFL's list and earn a second successive Coleman Medal. At the end of Round 10,

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. ...

, McKenna led Collingwood's goalkicking list with a modest total of 26 goals, but the following week he had a poor game in which he was held goalless in the Round 11 Queen's Birthday match against

Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

. This performance saw him and a number of teammates in Round 12 dropped to the reserves against South Melbourne Football Club at VFL Park (now known as Waverly Park). There he sustained a serious kidney injury that brought his season, and his Collingwood career, to a close. 1976 saw him lining up with the Devonport Magpies in Tasmania's

(NWFU). McKenna enjoyed a solid, confidence-boosting season in Tasmania, kicking 79 goals in 17 games. In

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

, McKenna returned to the mainland for another stint in the VFL. Sadly, at least as far as McKenna was concerned, Collingwood was loath to pay big money for its former star, and with some reluctance he opted to front up with arch-rival Carlton instead. In what was by no means an ignominious comeback, McKenna managed 36 goals in 11 games, but it seemed clear to all parties concerned that he was some way past his best. As a result, he left Carlton and spent the next three years giving good service to VFA clubs

(67 goals) and Port Melbourne (52 goals), where he was captain/coach, and Northcote (98 goals).Atkinson, p. 122. Altogether, McKenna's VFL record of 874 goals from 191 games was enough to place him as the league's fourth-highest goalkicker at the time of his retirement, behind only

Gordon Coventry Gordon Richard James Coventry (25 September 1901 – 7 November 1968) was a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Accorded "Legend" status in the Australian Footb ...

Doug Wade Douglas Graeme Wade (born 16 October 1941) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was the League's leading goal scorer (winn ...

and

Jack Titus Jack "Skinny" Titus (9 March 1908 – 19 April 1978) was an Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1926 and 1943 for the Richmond Football Club. In the golden era of the 1930s, Titus was one o ...

. As of the end of the

2021 AFL season The 2021 AFL season was the 125th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featu ...

, he sat tenth on the all-time league leaderboard; additionally, he has scored the most goals of any player to finish their career with fewer than 200 VFL/AFL games. His full senior and representative career yielded 1,213 goals.

VFL statistics

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1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

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1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 15 , , 64 , , 34 , , 145 , , 14 , , 159 , , 81 , , , , 4.3 , , 2.3 , , 9.7 , , 0.9 , , 10.6 , , 5.4 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 19 , , 98 , , 55 , , 241 , , 24 , , 265 , , 125 , , , , 5.2 , , 2.9 , , 12.7 , , 1.3 , , 13.9 , , 6.6 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

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, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 22 , , 134 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 79 , , 282 , , 32 , , 314 , , 159 , , , , 6.1 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 3.6 , , 12.8 , , 1.5 , , 14.3 , , 7.2 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 20 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 130 , , 53 , , 225 , , 23 , , 248 , , 132 , , , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 6.5 , , 2.7 , , 11.3 , , 1.2 , , 12.4 , , 6.6 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 20 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 86 , , 42 , , 179 , , 17 , , 196 , , 113 , , , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 4.3 , , 2.1 , , 9.0 , , 0.9 , , 9.8 , , 5.7 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 18 , , 69 , , 34 , , 138 , , 14 , , 152 , , 85 , , , , 3.8 , , 1.9 , , 7.7 , , 0.8 , , 8.4 , , 4.7 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 6 , , 10 , , 26 , , 14 , , 59 , , 11 , , 70 , , 31 , , , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , 6.6 , , 1.2 , , 7.8 , , 3.4 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 27 , , 11 , , 36 , , 23 , , 89 , , 10 , , 99 , , 41 , , , , 3.3 , , 2.1 , , 8.1 , , 0.9 , , 9.0 , , 3.7 , , , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 191 ! 874 ! 470 ! 2012 ! 232 ! 2244 ! 1114 ! ! 4.6 ! 2.5 ! 10.6 ! 1.2 ! 11.8 ! 5.9 !

Life off the football field

At his peak, Peter McKenna could lay claim to being the most popular footballer in the VFL – and, indeed, given the burgeoning impact of the mass media, almost certainly the most popular footballer ever in Australia up to that point. Not only was he a highly successful full forward playing for the nation's most popular sporting club, he possessed a Beatle-esque 'look' which, by the standards of the time, was an adman's dream. During this time, he recorded his first pop single ''Things to Remember'', written by Melbourne singer/songwriter Colin Buckley. This was followed by another single ''Smile'', written by Johnny Young. In 1969, he was a teacher at Fairfield State Primary. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he taught at Marcellin College Junior boys school in Camberwell. McKenna appeared regularly on television at this time, being Daryl Somers' co-host of ''

Hey Hey It's Saturday ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...

'' for the show's first eight weeks in late 1971, and continuing to appear after

Ossie Ostrich Oswald Q. Ostrich, better known simply as Ossie Ostrich, is an Australian television puppet character in the form of a pink ostrich, created, performed and voiced by Ernie Carroll who appeared firstly on the ''Tarax Show'', and then opposite Daryl ...

had replaced him as co-host. There were also appearances on shows such as '' Young Talent Time'' and ''Happening '72''. In 1973, he published a book describing his life and career to date, and his thoughts on the VFL and Australian football in general. The book was co-written with Phillip Burfurd and published in the Jack Pollard ''Sportsmaster'' range of titles. ''My World Of Football'' was subtitled "The candid, provocative innermost thoughts and technical secrets of an Australian football hero". After his football career had ended, McKenna commentated football with the

until Seven lost the rights to broadcast AFL matches after the

2001 AFL season The 2001 AFL season was the 105th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featured six ...

. He then worked in radio and as a part-time goalkicking coach at Collingwood until May 2004 when it was announced that McKenna would begin working as a ministerial transport officer (

chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine. Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to speciali ...

) for the Parliament of Victoria. In September 2007, in an attempt to boost public awareness and support for

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...

sufferers and their families, McKenna opened up about the three deaths in his family that had impacted him deeply over the years; those of his older sister Marie, who died after suffering an epileptic seizure just days out from McKenna's 21st birthday, and father Kevin and brother Gerard from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

-related illnesses. McKenna is married with two daughters and two grandsons.

References

Bibliography

* * Atkinson, G. (1982) ''Everything you ever wanted to know about Australian rules football but couldn't be bothered asking'', The Five Mile Press: Melbourne. . *''My World Of Football'', Peter McKenna with Phillip Burfurd, 1973.

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Peter Collingwood Football Club players Coleman Medal winners Carlton Football Club players Copeland Trophy winners All-Australians (1953–1988) Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Australian rules football commentators Australian television presenters Devonport Football Club players Northcote Football Club players Port Melbourne Football Club coaches Geelong West Football Club players 1946 births Living people Australian rules footballers from Melbourne People from Brunswick, Victoria