The newest player added to the Magpie nest will relocate his life to Melbourne later this week after he was traded to Collingwood from the Gold Coast Suns on Monday morning.
Peter was pre-listed by the Suns as one of the club’s Queensland zone selections and trained with the AFL side during this year’s preseason.
“It was an amazing experience to workout with listed players including Bock (Nathan) and Ablett (Gary),” the left footer told collingwoodfc.com.au over the phone.
“I learned how much I needed to put in at the top level to make it.”
After completing his studies at St Peters Lutheran College located in Indooroopily (QLD) last year, the 17-year-old was invited to work and live on campus to accommodate his promising football career.
“To have the support of the school really helped make life easier.
“I was able to train with the club and also work with the students at school. I helped out with coaching the cricket and footy teams.
“It was great to work with the younger students and help them develop their skills.”
Peter’s grandfather hails from Lebanon and arrived in Melbourne as a child with his family. His father Anthony grew up in Melbourne before relocating to Cairns as an accountant.
“Peter’s grandfather moved out to Australia just after the War,” Anthony told collingwoodfc.com.au.
“He had met a few Australian soldiers during the war and heard how amazing the country was. My dad wanted to see for himself.”
Anthony headed up north to Cairns seeking a change in lifestyle and soon found one in an indigenous community Hopevale where he met his partner, Peter’s mother Bttina.
Bttina and Anthony raised their son in the community until he was three, before moving to Alice Springs.
“When you live in an indigenous community you have to accommodate your ‘family’ which can include as many as 50 members. To give Peter a better structure in his life we had to leave.”
Bttina’s constant battle with diabetes was taking a turn for the worse as she lost her eyesight and became dependent on an insulin machine.
“Mum’s family was wiped out from diabetes. She lost her mum and older sister to the disease. Mum passed away in 2006.
“I lived with dad for two more years before moving to a boarding school in Brisbane.”
Peter played for the Morningside Panthers in the senior team and similar to his new club, finished the 2011 season losing in the Grand Final.
“We made the Grand Final but lost to NT (Northern Territory) by 98 points.
“I played a variety of positions through the season but enjoyed my time on the halfback line.”
His father admits he is Peter’s number one supporter and believes his son will make the most of this new opportunity.
“In everything that he has set out to accomplish he has given it 150 per cent and I can’t wait to see what he can achieve at Collingwood.
“He comes from a big Carlton family but don’t think for one second that he won’t have our full support.”
On Friday Peter will move down to Melbourne to start training in a city where his family arrived over 60 years ago.
“I love that I am going to Collingwood.
“Bucks gave me a call after the trade went though and said he was really looking forward to getting me down to the club.
“It’s now all I am thinking about and I can’t thank Collingwood enough for giving me a chance.”
