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Here's the song from Peter McKenna that was his most popular song, and in my view his best song, 'Smile All The While'.
He may not have been the best singer in the business, but in my view, this one song would top anything from Justin Bieber by a huge margin.
For someone who doesn't barrack for Collingwood and was born way after this was recorded, I actually like this song, in fact I've sung to this alone a few times, a bit embarrassing to admit haha!
As much as a lot of people talk about it, not one of the highlights (from the OP) had vision of Price taking the ball on the run and hitting McKenna on the lead.
----I have a rather sad story about the legend. I loved him and still do and whenever I played my imaginary games in the backyard with my plastic footy I had the McKenna kicking action down pat. A few years after Macca retired Don Scott was writing for the now defunct Herald. One day I came across an article he had written where he labelled the current day players (of the 80's) soft and said that none of them knew how to win their own ball.
I wrote a letter to Scott care of the Herald. In the letter I happened to mention McKenna. I said he was a hero of mine but even I was aware that he was never a physical player and had in fact shirked the hard ball at times. I brought this up because Scott believed the players of the seventies were all rugged and brave. Anyway I never expected him to respond and didn't think much more about it after I posted my letter. I received a phone call about a week later from Don Scott himself. With my heart hammering I told him I was the author of the letter. He said he was ringing in order to get my permission to publish my letter in his next article with the idea that he would write a response to the points I raised. I excitedly gave him permission. The next week the article appeared-it even had a promo on the back of the paper promoting the debate!
As I read my letter and saw my reference to McKenna I felt upset. It was never meant to be read by anyone but Scott. Well, I put the article in a folder and life rolled on. About a month later I was swimming laps at the Kilsyth indoor pool when who do I see? Don Scott was in the lane next to me! I had never seen him at the pool before and couldn't resist swimming over to him. I told him I was the bloke who wrote the letter he had recently published. His reaction stunned me. He shook his head and said"That letter! You will never know the trouble it has caused me!" I asked him what he meant. At this time Scott used to co-commentate the Army Reserve games on Sunday afternoons with none other than Peter McKenna. He told me that McKenna had read the article and he was very upset with my comments and the fact that Scott had not refuted them. He said he walked out of the commentary box before the game started and said he would not commentate with Scott. Scott said he spent a number of minutes pleading with him to return to the box and basically told him that I had no idea what I was talking about (conveniently forgetting that he had agreed!). He said McKenna continued to talk about suing the paper. I felt sick. I had upset my hero. I asked Scott if I should write him a letter explaining what I meant and why I wrote it. I can still see Scott's eyes rolling and his head shaking-"NO! Just let it rest!" were his final words to me.
I am a teacher. A few years later I had a girl in my class who was the niece of McKenna. She said one night her mum was on the phone to Uncle Peter and in passing she mention my surname. He asked her if my first name was Mark and she answered in the affirmative. Apparently he mentioned the letter and was not happy!
Any way, I still love the man and memories of his glory days are still the highlight of all my years of following my beloved Pies.
Peter Perfect was the best drop punt kick I've ever seen MG. He was quick on the lead and absolutely deadly on the set shot. I once saw him kick 16 goals four behinds in a game (100 points on his own) and he often scored bags of 8 or more. It was the way the game was played back then. A ruck man (Jenkin or Thompson) would palm the ball to one of the Richardson's or Barry Price and they would hit McKenna on the chest with their passes. Once he had the ball in hand it was just a matter of putting another mark in the goal section of your footy record!
I think the main reason we overlook Perfect Pete is that he was limited as a player. He wasn't a terribly physical player and he didn't take the spectacular marks that Jezza took or that Doug Wade could take. He couldn't bamboozle a full back with his brilliance like Peter Hudson could he was more like a machine. He would take his chest marks from beautiful passes and go back and kick goals....simple. Nowadays a fullback would just spoil his chest marks or the pressure on the ball carriers would be so much greater that the style of play wouldn't hold up any more. But one thing I can attest, if you gave Pete half the chances that Travis Cloke gets to kick goals, he would kick a hundred every year.
every kid had his number on his back.... he was on kid's programs on tv..... he put singles out ....
He also taught at Marcellin.I also read he was a teacher at Fairfield Primary School.
Imagine being in his class!
And having your hero teach you
Sliding doors.If it wasnt for Peter McKenna having a kick with my old man back in the 70's, i'd probably be a Saints supporter. Sparing me a lifetime of disappointment makes him a top bloke in my eyes
In 1971 McKenna brought up the 100 against Fitzroy in Rd. 15 on 10 July: https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/P/Peter_McKenna.htmlAmazing he kicked 100 goals before Hudson did the same the next week and it was July of that season.
1970?
I think Jezza also kicked a ton that yearAmazing he kicked 100 goals before Hudson did the same the next week and it was July of that season.
1970?
Goalkicking to me is like putting in golf.And both of them would laugh at the goal kicking skills of today's players!