{Xtypo_dropcap}W{/xtypo_dropcap}hen West Perth Football Club named their “Team of the Century” in 2000, it included only one post war player without a premiership to his name.

A premiership would have been a fitting reward to cap off  the magnificent career of Peter Menaglio, but it wasn’t to be.

{Xtypo_quote_left}It was a pretty lean period at Leederville during my time at the club,” he remarked. “ Between 1977 and 1989 we played in two first semi finals, one of which was drawn necessitating a replay, and a preliminary final.{/xtypo_quote_left}

If durability was the theme, then consistency had to be the hallmark of Menaglio’s two hundred and thirty six games. 

He won Breckler Medals as fairest and best for West Perth at both ends of his career, in 1981 and  1989, with another in 1984. In both 1987 and 1988 he was among Western Australia’s best in interstate clashes with South Australia and the Victorian Football Association.    

A fast and skilful player who could dominate a match, Peter Menaglio made the ball look like it was a natural part of his anatomy, so adept was he with ball handling skills. And that observation wasn’t all that far from the truth. “I was never without a footy in my hands growing up,” he said. “Wherever I went a ball wasn’t too far away.”

Menaglio pays tribute to a pair of junior coaches as responsible for his development as a player. “Butch Baker and Max James were terrific coaches.” Although he loved cricket, Peter soon discovered his deficiencies as a batsman, which didn’t matter much anyway, because as a regular in junior combined sides he was under the eye of the West Perth Football Club through the auspices of Ron Bewick, who was involved with Tuart Hill Junior Football Club.

On completing his under seventeens season Menaglio was contacted by Bewick with an invitation to train with the colts at Leederville. After a year with West Perth’s colts side in 1976, the eighteen year old, five foot eight rover started the following season in the seconds, before being called up to cover for Les Fong, who was in Adelaide with the State side. While Fong was among Western Australia’s best in a seven point win over the Croweaters, West Perth suffered a fifty two point drubbing at the hands of rivals East Perth. It was to be round one of 1978 before Peter would play game two of his career, and he would never be out of the league side again for the remaining two hundred and thirty four, in which he played predominantly on the centre line. 

A well balanced, stylish mover, Menaglio often seemed to have the ball on a string. “I was always conscious of a desire not to let people down,” he said. As a result his attitude drove him on. “It wasn’t easy.  I wasn’t endowed with the endurance of some other players so had to push myself.”

He enjoyed his stoushes with Swan Districts wingman Phil Narkle. “Phil was a brilliant player, and whenever we were due to play on each other the media would build it up, putting even more pressure on,” Peter recalled. Menaglio played under several coaches during the eighties, as the club attempted to find the formula for success, and had praise for each of them. “Graham Campbell was a great instructor, Percy Johnson worked us mighty hard, Denis Cometti had new ideas, and George Michalczyk tried hard, but none could get us over the line. We just lacked a few of the cattle needed in an era of some good sides and terrific players.”

“We had some top performers ourselves, such as Brian Adamson, Billy Duckworth, Craig Turley, Dean Laidley, John Gastev, Leon O’Dwyer, Les Fong, Ian Kent and others, but it was a pretty strong time for the WAFL in those years.”

Menaglio received an offer from Fitzroy in 1981. “Brian Wilson was retiring and they were after a rover,” Peter recalled. “I’d recently married, and wasn’t really interested.”

One of Peter’s career highlights was his hundred and fiftieth game, which was against East Fremantle. “Always tough to beat them, but my team mates did me proud, and it was a memorable occasion.”

Still at the top of his game with a Breckler Medal in 1989, Menaglio surprised the club and supporters by announcing his retirement at the end of the season. “I had no injury concerns. I was about to leave teaching to start up a new venture in real estate, and with a young family needed to give it my best shot,” he explained. He subsequently served as a selector with West Perth for several years.

Peter Menaglio and Susy Kohn’s real estate business, Menaglio Kohn Real Estate, has been formed as a result of two like-minded and successful people combining their experience, knowledge and skills under one roof to provide honest, friendly and professional service and very productive outcomes for their clients.

Susy and Peter have a total of 42 years experience in selling residential real estate. They share a philosophy which advocates that success for the selling public is possible in an enjoyable environment where they feel you have been treated in a fair, courteous and very professional manner.

Peter loves a yarn about footy, and would welcome any West Perth supporter for a coffee and chat if they are in the vicinity of unit 3/160 Scarborough Beach Road Mt Hawthorn. Better stock up with the coffee, Pete, methinks you have a few fans out there!

With son Thomas playing under twelves, Menaglio is back on the footy scene these days, and the young bloke is showing some potential. Peter and Michelle Menaglio also have two daughters, Sophie, who is in third year at Uni , played netball and is a keen gym worker, while Olivia is also a netballer. A flier on the footy field, Peter is still setting a fast pace, but now it’s in a plane, having obtained his pilot’s licence. He can often be found on a Friday at Wembley Golf Course.  

Phil Narkle was the player Peter found hardest to counter, but nominating an outstanding team mate wasn’t quite so easy. Barry Day, Les Fong, Bill Duckworth, Craig Turley, Dean Laidley, and  Brian Adamson were all good players and hard to separate.

A team player, it was one of the injustices of the game that the ultimate team award, a premiership, never came Peter Menaglio’s way. Twenty four years on, he is still a favourite son at West Perth.