Peter Sumich
Encyclopedia
Peter Lori Sumich is a former Australian rules football
er who played for in the West Australian Football League
(WAFL) and the West Coast Eagles
in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League
(VFL/AFL). He is currently an assistant coach with in the AFL, having previous served as senior coach of South Fremantle from 2000 to 2001, and assistant coach of West Coast from 2002 to 2011.
and three One Day Internationals for the Australia Under-19 cricket team in 1987 as a left-arm orthodox
spinner. Sumich also attended the Western Australian Institute of Sport
.
with a pre-draft selection before the 1988 National Draft
. He made his debut for the club in round one of the 1989 VFL season
against , recording 10 disposals. After kicking one goal in the first three games, Sumich was dropped back to South Fremantle, but returned in round seven, and played each of the remaining games for West Coast. He finished with 45 goals for the season to be the club's leading goalkicker, which included four hauls of more than five goals. Against in round 12 he kicked eight goals, setting a record for the most goals kicked in a match by a West Coast player.
In 1991, Sumich kicked 111 goals to finish second in the Coleman Medal
to Tony Lockett
, establishing records as the only West Coast Eagles player to kick more than 100 goals in a season and becoming the first left-footer to kick more than 100 goals. His total of 89 behinds for the season is also a VFL/AFL record. Against Footscray in round 13 he kicked 13.3, surpassing his previous record for most goals in a game (later topped by Scott Cummings
in 2000 with 14.1). He also kicked five goals in West Coast's Grand Final loss
to .
Sumich was a member of West Coast's 1992
and 994 AFL Grand Final|1994 premiership victories over , kicking six goals in the 1992 Grand Final and two goals in the 1994 Grand Final.
He finished his career in 1997 as West Coast's all-time leading goalkicker, kicking 514 goals from 150 games at an average of 3.43 goals per game. He also holds the record for the most goals kicked at the WACA Ground
– 101 goals from 29 games.
. He played 17 games for the club in 1998, kicking 25 goals to finish as the club's leading goalkicker, and retired at the end of the season.
was appointed senior coach in 2002. He served in this position for ten years until 2011, which included the club's 2006 premiership victory
.
announced in October 2011 that Sumich would be joining the club as an assistant coach under Ross Lyon
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played for in the West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
(WAFL) and the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL/AFL). He is currently an assistant coach with in the AFL, having previous served as senior coach of South Fremantle from 2000 to 2001, and assistant coach of West Coast from 2002 to 2011.
Early career
Originally playing for Cockburn JFC, Sumich represented the Western Australia Under-18 team which won the 1985 Teal Cup. He made his debut for in 1986. As well as playing football, Sumich was also a noted under-age cricketer, playing three TestsTest cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and three One Day Internationals for the Australia Under-19 cricket team in 1987 as a left-arm orthodox
Left-arm orthodox spin
Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch...
spinner. Sumich also attended the Western Australian Institute of Sport
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia...
.
1988–97: AFL career
Sumich was selected by the West Coast EaglesWest Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
with a pre-draft selection before the 1988 National Draft
1988 VFL Draft
The 1988 VFL National Draft was the third annual National draft held by the Victorian Football League . It consisted of a pre-season draft and a national draft....
. He made his debut for the club in round one of the 1989 VFL season
1989 VFL season
-Notable events:* In Round 13, horrendous conditions at Windy Hill saw Essendon and Footscray play the lowest scoring game since the 1927 Grand Final, with the teams combining for only 6.15 ....
against , recording 10 disposals. After kicking one goal in the first three games, Sumich was dropped back to South Fremantle, but returned in round seven, and played each of the remaining games for West Coast. He finished with 45 goals for the season to be the club's leading goalkicker, which included four hauls of more than five goals. Against in round 12 he kicked eight goals, setting a record for the most goals kicked in a match by a West Coast player.
In 1991, Sumich kicked 111 goals to finish second in the Coleman Medal
Coleman Medal
The Coleman Medal is awarded yearly to the Australian Football League player who kicks the most goals in regular-season matches in that year...
to Tony Lockett
Tony Lockett
Anthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
, establishing records as the only West Coast Eagles player to kick more than 100 goals in a season and becoming the first left-footer to kick more than 100 goals. His total of 89 behinds for the season is also a VFL/AFL record. Against Footscray in round 13 he kicked 13.3, surpassing his previous record for most goals in a game (later topped by Scott Cummings
Scott Cummings
Scott Cummings is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon, Port Adelaide, the West Coast Eagles and Collingwood in the Australian Football League....
in 2000 with 14.1). He also kicked five goals in West Coast's Grand Final loss
1991 AFL Grand Final
The 1991 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at Waverley Park in Melbourne on 28 September 1991. It was the 95th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
to .
Sumich was a member of West Coast's 1992
1992 AFL Grand Final
The 1992 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 26 September 1992. It was the 96th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League,...
and 994 AFL Grand Final|1994 premiership victories over , kicking six goals in the 1992 Grand Final and two goals in the 1994 Grand Final.
He finished his career in 1997 as West Coast's all-time leading goalkicker, kicking 514 goals from 150 games at an average of 3.43 goals per game. He also holds the record for the most goals kicked at the WACA Ground
WACA Ground
The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
– 101 goals from 29 games.
1998: Return to South Fremantle
Sumich had been playing on-and-off for South Fremantle since he was recruited by West Coast, mainly when recovering from injury or when out of form, but returned to the club full-time in 1998, serving as co-captain with Peter WorsfoldPeter Worsfold
Peter Worsfold is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League during the early 1990s....
. He played 17 games for the club in 1998, kicking 25 goals to finish as the club's leading goalkicker, and retired at the end of the season.
South Fremantle
Sumich served as coach of South Fremantle in 2000 and 2001, taking his club to a Grand Final in 2001, which the club lost to .West Coast
Sumich accepted a role as an assistant coach at the West Coast Eagles when his premiership teammate John WorsfoldJohn Worsfold
John Worsfold is a former Australian rules footballer who represented in the West Australian Football League and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League . He also represented Western Australia in State of Origin matches...
was appointed senior coach in 2002. He served in this position for ten years until 2011, which included the club's 2006 premiership victory
2006 AFL Grand Final
The 2006 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 2006. It was the 110th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
.
Fremantle
The Fremantle Football ClubFremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
announced in October 2011 that Sumich would be joining the club as an assistant coach under Ross Lyon
Ross Lyon
Ross Lyon is a former Australian rules football player for Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears. He is the current senior coach of the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Playing career:...
.