When Peter Panegyres burst onto the WAFL scene in 1965 it appeared that West Perth had unearthed yet another class midfielder who would serve the club for at least a decade.Big things were forecast for the fleet footed left footer after he notched up eighty league games by the time he’d turned twenty two. But a series of injuries saw that tally only added to by just over twenty more over in the ensuing six seasons, and he was lost to football after the 1972 season. Regarded at West Perth as one of the players that would bring the club a flag after several years in the wilderness following their 1960 premiership, Panegyres was forced out of both the 1969 and the 1971 grand final by injury. “In 69 I copped an injury in the last five minutes of the last home and away game of the season, against East Fremantle, and wasn’t able to take part in any finals matches, and in 1971 a broken arm sustained two thirds of the way through the year forced me out,” Peter recalled. “I was right to play on grand final day, and Polly(Farmer) told me I was a chance to play in the grand final if it was dry. If it looked like rain Peter Curley would get the nod. On the Thursday night when the team was selected the forecast was bad for me, with rain predicted, but Saturday afternoon yielded a blue sky.”“Poll said: “Sorry, mate, but the team is picked,” and Peter played. The careers of Panegyres and Curley entwined, and both retired from football far too early.There were distinct similarities with the gifted pair, as both were natural centremen destined to find another role due to the presence of a champion in Mel Whinnen, who controlled the West Perth midfield for three hundred and seventy one games.Curley had received recognition by being chosen as a reserve two weeks before Panegyres’s injury, and was the natural replacement. Lining up on a half forward flank, he kicked five goals five behinds against Subiaco on debut, and went on to win the club’s best first year player award. It was fortunate for the club that such a talented replacement was available, and the Cardinals were able to continue on to a second flag in three years. Injury plagued Peter Panegyres to the extent that he retired after the 1972 season. Ironically, Curley left the club at the same time to coach in the Amateur competition. A product of the West Perth junior competition, Panegyres represented Western Australia at the State Schoolboys carnival in Brisbane in 1959, accompanied by other future league players Graham Ramshaw(Perth), Graham Shortte(South Fremantle), Peter Gow and Colin Williams(Subiaco), and Geoff McMurray(Swan Districts). Representing Victoria at the same carnival was a young Carl Ditterich, just one of several giants wearing the big V. A football fanatic, the young Panegyres would haunt Leederville Oval to watch his heroes in the red and blue, and it was a trainer, Dave Shepherd, who took Peter under his wing and taught him the skills he would later exhibit to a younger generation. He played with the colts in 1963 before debuting in the league side in 1965 against Subiaco on a wet Leederville Oval against Subiaco, where he lined up directly opposed to Graham Heal, with whom he’d played many a game at junior level. “I was a reserve for the first semi final in 1965,” Peter said. “I was so nervous and hyped up that I vomited as I ran out onto the oval. Suddenly the ball presented itself and I ran into an open goal, and it looked like I couldn’t miss. It was at that fleeting moment that East Fremantle pair Norm Rogers and Con Regan also presented themselves.”“I missed.”In one of his early appearances, Panegyres received some welcome assistance from half back Col Hebbard. “The bloke I was playing on was giving me a rough going over off the ball,” Peter said. “Col sidled up to me and said: “Is this sod giving you any trouble?” Before I could reply, he added: “If you see me or hear me, get out of the way, son!”“A few minutes later I heard a voice. “Get out of the way.” Almost immediately after, Col said: “This guy won’t be troubling you again today.”“He was right!”Peter Panegyres was also a very talented cricketer. He represented West Perth in first grade cricket as an opener and change bowler for sixteen years, compiling two first grade hundreds. He was at one stage under the eyes of the State selectors, and after beginning the season with 112 and 60 not out was informed by one of them that another big score in the next game would see him in the State side. “It was the worst thing he could have done to a young bloke,” Peter laughed. “I went out there in game three intent on not losing my wicket, and abandoning my normal game. After about two runs in an hour at the wicket I was dismissed, so that was the Eastern States tour out of  calculations.”After his football career finished Panegyres played cricket at Subiaco-Floreat.   A phys ed teacher, Peter has recently retired, and has enjoyed a trip through Europe with partner Lynne. He has up until recently played pennant squash, and is now in the process of mastering Wembley Downs golf course. He also had a few seasons with Modernians hockey club, and, although rusty on the skills of the game, enamoured himself to the coach, Merv Adams, with his football fitness, enabling him to harass opponents. He has two daughters, Mahala and Jessica( A Rhodes scholar). “I didn’t realise just how good the players I played with were until after I finished playing,” Peter reflects on his time on the sporting arena. “With West Perth football and cricket clubs I played with some brilliant exponents of both sports. It was certainly a great pleasure playing with them. Polly rated the West Perth group highly.”Panegyres found Perth’s Greg Brehaut and East Perth’s Derek Chadwick tough to counter. “But they were all tough,” he added. “I was playing against East Fremantle during my second last season, and came off at half time saying to someone: “This bloke I’m playing on today’s pretty good.I checked the book for his name. B. Peake.”“I never saw Bill Dempsey beaten for a mark,” Peter said. “But for sheer brilliance and the manner in which he could dictate play there was only one Graham “Polly” Farmer.”Peter Panegyres was a stylish wingman and half forward for West Perth during the late sixties and early seventies who never realised his obvious potential due to circumstances out of his control. It was a travesty he never played in a premiership side after the efforts he put in to get his side into the finals twice, but nevertheless he is remembered at the club as a fine player.