Peter Webster

A local North Carlton boy who grew up just a drop kick from Princes Park, Peter Webster established himself as a stalwart centre half-back for the Blues throughout the 1950s. Balancing his football with a career in the fire brigade, he was a disciplined defender often tasked with curbing the opposition's most dangerous key forwards while supporting teammates like John James and George Ferry. After seven seasons of dependable service, Webster found himself at a crossroads at the end of 1959; sitting on 97 games, he received an offer to captain-coach Merbein that included a house and a weekly wage four times higher than his VFL match payments. In a move that highlighted the semi-professional realities of the era, he turned down the plea from club officials to play three more games for his century, instead departing the VFL to secure his financial future and become a premiership-winning coach in the Sunraysia league.