In 1971 a pair of young 17 year old, St Bedes College boarders, Peter Whitty & Paul Scanlon, from country towns in NSW & Victoria, were introduced to the Beauy Football Club by their local classmate, Garry Nicholson.
Peter Whitty came from Finley where he had previously played junior footy with the local club that his family had strong connections to. Peter’s father, Pat, was a dual Premiership Player with the Finley Cats in the ‘50’s alongside AFL Legend, Alan Jeans.
It wasn’t long before Whit’s dash, endurance and courage saw him playing regularly with the Sharks Senior team over the ensuing years while he studied for his Law Degree with his mate Scan. By 1976 he was a leading member of the team and capped of a great season by winning the Club’s Senior B & F Award. Then in 1977 he played his 100th Senior game and finished the year with an exciting Grand Final victory shared with his close mates, Scan & Reg Richter, plus other firm friends who kept in close contact for the next forty years. Whit was also named in the BFC ‘1970’s - Team Of The Decade’ at the club’s 40th Anniversary Dinner.
After graduating, Peter returned to Finley and played in their 1982 Senior Premiership team before also featuring in the 1988 Premiership as a very fit thirty-five year old. He actually played the last of his senior Finley games in 2008 and his latest Reserves game was in 2017 to help out. His extreme endurance and fitness levels were demonstrated when he went to Africa to run in an ultra-marathon (250 miles) in his thirties. Upon retiring he served two years as Finley F.C. President in 1993/94. During the eighties Whit organised a very memorable pre-season practice match between the two clubs which took place in Finley under a blazing blue sky and nearly 40deg temperatures. He also opened two law offices in Finley & Deniliquin during that time.
Peter and his wife Jenny & two sons, Luke & Tom, later moved back to Melbourne where Jake attended University and both sons followed in his footsteps by playing Senior footy at Beauy and they were together in the 2005 Reserves Premiership squad. Whit was always a strong supporter who was quite happy to help out in any way – including as goal umpire for that Reserves team.
His recent sudden death has left people from both clubs very saddened as he was as much loved for his friendship off the field as he was regarded for his exploits on the field. Always a laconic, easy-going country boy with a cheeky grin he will be missed by all and it was great to see many of his Beauy friends come along to the Sharks game last weekend and gather for a drink to his memory that afternoon.
To demonstrate even more strongly the connections that footy can create over the decades and particularly in this case the links between these two clubs – Finley & Beaumaris - it was quite ironic that when a Beauy official said a few words about Peter’s legacy that evening there were several members of Alan Jeans’ family in attendance as his grandson, Paul, is now a Sharks footballer. It was quite emotional to think of that connection between 1954 teammates, Pat Whitty & Alan Jeans, still enduring 64 years later through their children and grandchildren and their involvement with the traditions and friendships created by two Australian Rules footy clubs 400 kms apart.
Peter is pictured here with his eldest daughter Caitlin and the 1977 GF winning team.