Peter McKenna (born August 27, 1946) was an Australian rules footballer, who played 180 games and kicked 838 goals with the Collingwood Football Club between 1965 and 1975 before finishing his career with one season at Carlton Football Club in 1977 (playing 11 games and kicking 36 goals). Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, and the players wear black and white striped guernseys, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for Collingwood during the year. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, and the players wear black and white striped guernseys, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for Collingwood during the year. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, and the players wear black and white striped guernseys, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. ... The Coleman Medal is awarded yearly to the Australian Football League player who kicks the most goals in regular-season matches in that year. ... The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... High marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Aussie Rules Football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of football... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, and the players wear black and white striped guernseys, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... Carlton Football Club, nicknamed The Blues, is the sixth oldest Australian rules football club and the third oldest club in the Australian Football League. ...

One of the best full-forwards ever, he holds the record for kicking at least one goal per match for 120 matches. A mop-top hairstyle, genial grin and a gift for taking chest high marks won McKenna adulation in the 1960s and '70s as the game's first multimedia star. He continued a commentary role in the 1990's with Channel Seven. Full-forward is a position in Australian Rules Football with a key focus on kicking goals. ... The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. ...

Despite displaying an early preference for soccer over football, Peter McKenna ultimately developed into one of the greatest full forwards in the Australian code's history. Indeed, his youthful interest with the round ball game may actually have aided him in certain ways. Other champion goalkickers Ken Farmer, Frank Golding and Tony Modra, for instance, all shared McKenna's early passion — a comparative analysis of the sorts of skills required in the apparently dichotomous two activities might be instructive. Kenneth William George Ken Farmer was an outstanding Australian rules football player in the South Australian National Football League during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. ... Tony Laverne Modra (born March 1, 1969) played for the Adelaide Crows and Fremantle Australian rules football clubs in the Australian Football League. ...

Whatever the underlying reasons or causes, although Peter McKenna was by no means an overnight sensation, he had, by the start of his second season in senior football, begun to capture the imagination of Collingwood fans with the obvious range of his natural football ability. In round 1 1966 he booted 12 goals in a match-winning effort against Hawthorn, and by the following year such feats were becoming almost commonplace. Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ...

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, Peter McKenna has had few peers, and once he had gained possession of the ball, usually from a bullet stab pass from Barry Price, or Wayne Richardson, he almost invariably finished things off with consummate precision, typically using a kick on which the jury, at the time, was still out - the drop punt. Barry Price (born March 30, 1974) was an Soccer player, who played 158 games and scored 60 goals with Aclare Celtic Football Club between 1999 and 2007. ... Wayne Richardson born December 8, 1946, is a former Australian Rules footballer. ...

McKenna topped the Magpies' goal kicking list for the first of eight consecutive times in 1967, booting 58 goals. Over the ensuing seasons he gradually improved, kicking 97 goals in 1969, 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's Peter Hudson kicked 146 goals, adding a record-equalling 150 goals in 1971 compared to McKenna's 'modest' tally of 134. Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Peter Hudson (born February 19, 1946) is arguably the greatest Australian rules full-forward in the games history. ...

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, 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 head injury after accidentally colliding with team mate and vice-captain Des Tuddenham 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. Collingwood may refer to: Collingwood, Victoria The Collingwood Football Club of the Australian Football League Collingwood, Ontario Collingwood, New Zealand Collingwood, Northumberland HMS Collingwood, four ships of the Royal Navy Collingwood 50005, a British Rail Class 50 locomotive Collingwood School, a university-preparatory school in West Vancouver, British Columbia Collingwood... The St. ... Des Tuddenham (born January 29, 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played during the 1960s and 70s. ...

Peter McKenna finally managed to head the VFL's list of goal kicking with 130 goals in 1972, a season which also saw him achieve All Australian selection after booting 19 goals in 3 games at the Perth carnival. The following year McKenna's total of just 86 goals was sufficient for him to claim pole position on the VFL's list for a second time.

In 1975, McKenna's form began to deteriorate, and after being dropped to the reserves he sustained a serious kidney injury that brought his season, and his Collingwood career, to a sad conclusion. The following year saw him lining up with NWFU side Devonport which, like Collingwood, played in black and white, and was known as the Magpies. McKenna enjoyed a solid, confidence-boosting season in Tasmania, booting 79 goals in 17 games, and in 1977 he returned to the mainland for another stab at the 'big time.'

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 opted to call it a day, at least as far as VFL football was concerned, although he did round off his career by giving good service to VFA clubs Geelong West and Northcote.

Career 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. Johnny Young (born John de Jong), born in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands, is an Australian singer, composer, producer, disc jockey and television producer and host. ...

In 1969, he was a teacher at Fairfield State Primary.

McKenna appeared regularly on television at this time, being Daryl Somers' co-host of Hey Hey It's Saturday for the show's first eight weeks in late 1971, and continuing to appear after Ossie Ostrich had replaced him as co-host. There were also appearances on shows such as Young Talent Time and Happening '72. Daryl Paul Somers OAM (born Daryl Schultz August 6, 1951 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia), sometimes referred to as Dazza or Dags, is an Australian television personality. ... Hey Hey Its Saturday was a long running variety television program on Australian television. ... Ossie Ostrich (full name: Oswald Q Ostrich) was a character on the long-running Australian television show Hey Hey Its Saturday. ... Young Talent Time was an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten. ...

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". U FUCKING WANKERS JACK POLLARD WAS AN AEROPLANE PERSON AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH WANKING CRICKET!!!!!!!!!!! U FUCKING FAT FUCKERS I HATE U!!!! ...

After his football career had ended, McKenna began a career commentating football with Channel Seven that lasted into the 1990s. The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. ...

In mid 2004 McKenna began work as a ministerial transport officer for the Victorian parliament. Currently Peter McKenna has 3 boys, named Dan, Sam and Kintan.

References

• Profile on fullpointsfooty.net
• 2004 news item
• My World Of Football, Peter McKenna with Phillip Burfurd, 1973.