Peter Lucas, 1958 Premiership player and long-serving general manager at Collingwood, passed away in Brisbane earlier this week. He was 89.

Peter played 177 games for the Magpies between 1949-59. He twice finished runner-up in the Copeland, each time by a solitary vote. Part of the fabled half-back line of Lucas-Kingston-Tuck, Peter was part of the 1958 Premiership team. He would also have played in the 1953 triumph but broke his collarbone in the second semi-final two weeks earlier.

Peter returned to Victoria Park in the mid-1960s after his playing career ended and spent two separate terms as the club's general manager. In all he served the club for more than 30 years in both on- and off-field roles.

All of which makes it hard to conceive that he was very nearly a St Kilda player.

Peter’s father, George, played 48 games with the Saints in the 1920s, and raised Peter as a keen Saints supporter in the bayside suburb of Hampton. Peter was asked to train at St Kilda prior to the 1949 season, but was disappointed to find that his appearance there was greeted with almost total indifference.

As fate would have it, Collingwood issued a similar invitation the next week. But the reception at Victoria Park was decidedly more professional and substantially warmer. Within hours Lucas knew his football future lay with the Magpies.

In some ways football was lucky to have Lucas at all. Had it not been for a family tragedy he may well have pursued a sporting career as a cyclist. In the mid-1940s Lucas had taken up cycling as a track rider with the Hampton Amateur Cycling Club, and proved to be highly successful. His brother also had reasonable success as a road racer. Then one day his brother was killed while riding his bicycle on the road, and Lucas’ distraught father immediately convinced Peter to give away the sport.

Peter refocused his sporting attention on football. He had first played at Hampton High School, mainly as a wingman. After his flirtation with cycling he played football with the Hampton Scouts (an under-19 side) and Hampton Rovers in the A-Grade amateurs, where his performances brought him to the attention of both Collingwood and St Kilda.

Lucas managed to eke out six senior games in his 1949 debut season at Victoria Park, but started five of those on the bench. It was a similar tale in the first half of 1950, but he was in the starting line-up for the last five games of the year, and for every contest in 1951.

From early in his days at Collingwood Lucas settled in to a half-back flank position. A lithe 183cm (6ft) and 79.5kg (12st 7lb), he was the tallest of the famed Lucas-Tuck-Kingston half-back line, and spent some time in the key position. But mostly it was on the flank, looking after slippery customers like Bob Davis of Geelong and Geoff Tunbridge of Melbourne.

To handle opponents like those two, a defender needed pace, and Peter Lucas had plenty of it. In addition to his speed Lucas was blessed with a high degree of skill, a safe pair of hands and a wonderful sense of anticipation. He was not a “showy” type, despite being a dashing half-back, but he proved hard for opponents to master. Years later he would be likened to an early model (and slightly faster) Shane Morwood. Almost all his former teammates described him as one of the most skilled running defenders of his day. 

He was also highly consistent and reliable. Only injury kept him out of the 1952 and '53 grand finals, the latter misfortune (a broken collarbone) costing him a premiership medal. But the footy gods were kinder five years later, and he was finally able to be a part of not just any premiership team but the fabled heroes who brought home “The Miracle of ’58”.

He retired at the end of the next year, at the same time as his two closest footballing friends, fellow defenders Ron Kingston and Frank Tuck. But his involvement with Collingwood was anything but finished. After a couple of years coaching at Cheltenham, he returned to the committee to pursue an interest in administration that had started with a stint as players’ representative. In 1966 he became assistant secretary, and a few years later general manager. Peter resigned in 1975 but returned in 1977 and stayed until 1981.

During his time as one of the game’s leading administrators Lucas won a reputation for doing things “by the book”. He also showed many of the qualities that had characterised his on-field performances. He was a gentle man with a wide, ready smile but also with the strong personality needed to successfully assume senior positions in administration. As general manager he proved just as level-headed, reliable and consistent as he had in his playing days.

Peter moved to Queensland later in life, and in recent years had been battling Parkinson's Disease. His wife, Shirley, died a month ago, and he is survived by his sons Colin, Andrew and Robert and their families.

The Board, management, staff, coaches and players of the Collingwood Football Club acknowledge Peter's outstanding contributions to our footy club, both on and off the field. Our thoughts are with his family, and all his friends both from Collingwood and beyond.

Side by Side.

To read Peter's full story and stats from his career, check his bio on Forever HERE.