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Herald Sun
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Peter 'Buzz' Bosustow's reflections on a remarkable footballing life
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Here are some of his reflections from a career with WAFL club Perth and Carlton (two premierships, 65 games, 146 goals, 1981-83), one that saw him become a human highlight reel. JA: How did you get to Carlton from your WAFL club Perth (141 games, 378 goals)? PB: In 1980 Carlton tried to get me over during the year by flying me from Perth to Sydney in May when the Blues played Essendon in an exhibition game at the SCG. They took me up to my seat in the stand where there were two brown paper bags. From memory there was around $15,000 in them. JA: Money aside, why Carlton? PB: Their coach David Parkin said I would be playing in a team with a halfback line of Ken Hunter, Val Perovic and Bruce Doull, and a half-forward line of Wayne Johnston, Mark Maclure and Peter Bosustow. I liked the sound of it. Think you're a sports fanatic? Take the test. Play daily trivia for FREE on CODE Sports. Sign up here > JA: Didn't Jack Dyer, when asked by Lou Richards, once describe you as 'a good ordinary player'? PB: He did. The next week I kicked eight goals against South Melbourne and Lou asked him again (on World of Sport). Jack replied: 'He's now a VERY good average footballer.' JA: Lou Richards interviewed you in The Sun before you played a game which raised eyebrows? PB: I told him I could jump over tall buildings which had a few of the Carlton boys saying, 'what have we got here?' So I had to back it up. And while I could jump over tall buildings (laughter) it was the defensive element of my game that won respect from my teammates. JA: What advice would you give budding AFL players? PB: Highlight the defensive part of your game, what you do when you haven't got the ball. That will stick in the minds of recruiters. Or you can take Mark of the Year and kick Goal of the Year in the same season, as some bloke did for Carlton in 1981 (Bosustow, laughter). JA: At Carlton you played with Bruce Doull, Geoff Southby, Wayne Johnston, Ken Hunter and Mike Fitzpatrick, all of whom were named in the club's Team of the Century. Who was the best? PB: The one superstar in my time at Carlton was Rod Ashman. We had champions and legends, and you can add Jimmy Buckley, Wayne Harmes, David McKay, Mark Maclure and Ken Sheldon to that above group. But in my eyes Rod Ashman was the superstar. A 175cm rover who could play centre half-forward. Should have won a Brownlow. JA: Did you keep in contact with your Carlton teammates after heading back to Perth in 1984? PB: When I was first diagnosed with cancer, 50 of the 55 Carlton blokes I played with made contact, including Bruce Doull who spoke for four minutes on the phone. So I told him I was coming over to Melbourne and would like to take he and his wife Sandy out for coffee, lunch or dinner to say thank you. He said, 'I don't do coffee, I don't do lunch and I don't do dinner'. Then he hung up (laughter). JA: Did you hear from any opponents? PB: Yeah, this bloke rang up and said he had played one of his first ever games against me, and that he had heard of my cancer plight and wanted to sign a few jumpers to help out. His name was Tony Lockett. JA: You were a huge fan of Neale Daniher as an opponent? PB: He was the best I played on. I just struggled to find ways to beat him. As he was a seriously intelligent footballer, which he carried over to his coaching. Richmond's Graeme Landy was another but at least I broke even with him, unlike Neale Daniher who was just a very smart player. JA: For all of us who watched you play, we missed your brilliance when you returned to Perth in 1985. PB: So did Carlton president John Elliott, who offered me $100,000 in cash to return, which would have helped run my family's sports stores. Thanks anyway, Jack. TASSIE'S FIRST COACH? Looking for a really well-qualified candidate for the Tasmanian Devils coaching gig? Try the name of a young man named Zane Littlejohn, 38, a former teacher who aside from a public profile, ticks every other box. Littlejohn is a premiership coach with North Launceston, a development and academy coach with the Brisbane Lions and is currently coaching Box Hill in the VFL while also working in development at Hawthorn. STILL LOVE FOR SOS While his absence was well documented, Stephen Silvagni still received a warm reception when Stephen Kernahan mentioned his contribution at the 1995 Carlton premiership reunion last Sunday. Kernahan added that Silvagni had sent him an email reflecting on that glorious year and expressing his enjoyment at being part of it. Hopefully down the track there will be a coming together. AN UNLIKELY COMEBACK? Former Bomber and Giant Andrew Phillips enjoyed a conversation with some past teammates in the Essendon rooms and you wonder if the Dons tried to twist his arm for a comeback. Phillips is happily retired but wandered down to the rooms on Thursday night with a typical smile and some handshakes, one of the few happy faces in what was a saddened winning rooms after the injuries to Harry Jones, Jordan Ridley and Jade Gresham. Phillips retired to go back to his native Tasmania and before Thursday had played two games for Lauderdale this season in the Southern Football League, named best-on for the Bombers – Lauderdale that is – on Anzac Day. With Nick Bryan and Sam Draper both gone for the season due to injury, the Dons are looking at young options for ruck support in the mid-season draft. Tom Liberatore was not in the North Melbourne rooms post-match, after being part of a presentation for ex-teammate Caleb Daniel ahead of his 200th match. Liberatore and some fellow Dogs, including Marcus Bontempelli, took in the Roos-Bombers game from a corporate box at Marvel Stadium, but 'Libba' was seen heading for the exit at the last change, before a thrilling final quarter. HOT JACK MACRAE An even money chance he would find a Sherrin on Mars. ANGE POSTECOGLOU As Mark Twain observed, it's the size of the fight in the dog. NOT LAURA KANE 'Maybe' isn't always the best adverb. ALEX PEARCE A forgettable week for the Freo captain. Best to button it. Glory, 52 games and done: What happened to Blues flag hero?
Sky News AU
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Sky News AU
AFL great Peter 'The Buzz' Bosustow dies aged 67 after brave battle with rectal and liver cancer
Former Carlton Blues star Peter Bosustow has died aged 67 after a long battle with rectal and liver cancer. Affectionately known as "The Buzz" Bosustow passed away surrounded by his family in his hometown of Perth on Sunday evening. His beloved Carlton Football Club confirmed the news of his passing in a statement on Monday. "The Carlton people loved 'Buzz'- and he loved Carlton,' the club said. "The great Australian game has lost a little of its lustre today, with the untimely passing of Peter Bosustow. Vale, Buzz- and thank you for all the memories. A two-time premiership player for Carlton, Bosustow is one of only two players to ever win both Mark and Goal of the Year in the same season. Known for his electrifying skills and show-stopping flair, Bosustow, who famously wore the number four guernsey, kicked 146 goals and won 49 of his 65 games during his time at Carlton. His tenure with the club, however, was cut short in 1984 when he returned to Western Australia to be with his father, fellow former Carlton great Bob Bosustow, who had fallen ill. Either side of his three-year stint with the Blues, Bosustow made a major impact at Perth Football Club in the WAFL, booting 379 goals from 141 games. He was later named in Perth's Team of the Century (1899–1999) and represented Western Australia in eight state games. Fellow WA Football Hall of Famer Ken Hunter, who played alongside Bosustow at Carlton in 1981 and 1982, reflected on his teammate's vibrant personality and talent. "I think of what a character 'Buzz' was and how much he took to the big stage," Hunter said. "He was a unique character and a rare football talent in equal measure." Former Carlton coach David Parkin also paid tribute, describing Bosustow as "an exceptional talent". "I've coached some outstandingly talented players, but on his day Peter could do things on a footy field few could emulate," Parkin said, as per Carlton's official website. "Peter had remarkable capacities in the air and on the ground, and was probably as exciting a player to watch as we ever had." Bosustow publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2021, telling The West Australian that he would face the disease "head on". "Whatever comes up I will meet it then," he said at the time. Bosustow is survived by his wife Shelley, son Brent, and daughter Brooke.
7NEWS
28-04-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
AFL world mourning death of high-flying cult hero Peter Bosustow after cancer battle
The AFL are in mourning after the death of former Carlton fan favourite Peter Bosustow, aged 67. Bosustow died surrounded by family overnight after battling cancer. He leaves behind his wife Shelley, son Brent and daughter Brooke, who were all with him to say their goodbyes. Known affectionately as 'Buzz', the cult hero only played 65 games across three years at Carlton, but was an instant fan favourite for his ability to take high-flying marks. As well as playing in the Blues' premiership sides in 1981 and '82, Bosustow is one of only two players in history to win both the Mark and Goal of the Year in the same season (1981). Either side of his three-year stint at Carlton, Bosustow played for Perth in the WAFL, kicking 379 goals from 141 games. He was selected in Perth's Team of the Century (1899-1999) and also played eight state games for Western Australia. Bosustow was also inducted in the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Former Carlton teammate Ken Hunter paid tribute to the much-loved figure. 'I look back on him in his first year, winning Mark of the Year, Goal of the Year and a Grand Final – him being a half forward, me being a half back,' Hunter told Carlton's website. 'He used to joke that I was the extrovert and him the introvert, when it was obviously the other way around. He was a unique character and a rare football talent in equal measure. That talent was obvious in Perth but it went to another level when he came to Melbourne. 'The Carlton people loved 'Buzz' and he loved Carlton.' Former coach David Parkin remembered Bosustow as an 'exceptional talent'. 'I've coached some outstandingly talented players, but on his day Peter could do things on a footy field few could emulate – a case in point that smother, gather and goal,' he said. 'Peter had remarkable capacities in the air and on the ground, and was probably as exciting a player to watch as we ever had. 'What was really good was that despite the ups and downs of a coach/player relationship we remained really good mates and shared so much over the journey. We used to call, text or email eachother a lot, particularly through the course of his illness which began 18 months ago. As a player he tested me like nobody else, but he was always quick to apologise to me and the players and it was just a bit sad that he decided to go home. But he was a gem of a bloke.' Fans also paid tribute to their hero. 'RIP Buzz. You gave us so many great games and lifetime memories. We went to the footy to see you play. Your magical goals and skyscrapping marks we're breathtaking to witness. A True Blue Bagger to the end,' one fan tweeted. 'Absolute star of the game. RIP Peter,' another added. 'Condolences to his family. What an absolute star I got to watch growing up. Mark/Goal of the year too show how talented this bloke was. Left it all out there in footy and life. Rest easy Buzz,' another said.
