Past legends thread #4 - Peter Sumich

[materamagic]

Our greatest full forward. Top scored 7 times for the club and topped the ton with 111 in 91 becoming the first left footer in VFL/AFL history etc... Good performer on big days such as his haul of 8 goals in the second semi 1992 and another 6 in the 92 grandy, 5 goals in the loosing 91 final and 6 goals in a final in 96 I think it was. Could be inaccurate at times but it is unfair to criticise him, he was a legend and great to see him back at the club in an assistant coach role to mate Woosha?

What are your Suma moments?

 

[fearlessone77]

The TIP TOP Bread ads that made you wish he just stuck to playing football and didnt try to market anything or the WAFL Grand Final 1997 when he went off injured in the first 10 minutes and still played in a Premiership

 

[Altum Volantes]

Originally posted by fearlessone77
The TIP TOP Bread ads that made you wish he just stuck to playing football and didnt try to market anything or the WAFL Grand Final 1997 when he went off injured in the first 10 minutes and still played in a Premiership

Yeah thanks for that, did you forget getting choked out by Danny Southern and falling on his arse shooting for goal against Sydney ?.....

But back to the great Suma moments.

Sumich was a player I always had a lot of time for.

I still believe nobody can swing around and slam the ball onto the left foot for a goal quite like Suma.

My favourite Suma memory would be the 13 goal haul (a long standing record till Scotty knocked it off) against Footscray in 1991.
My first ever Eagles night game and WHAM, 13 goals and a 118 point victory.

Also, his 1992 final's series was excellent, 18 goals in 3 games.

Read an interesting stat today actually.
In 91, considered his best season, he kicked 111 goals in 25 games at 4.4 but in 92, his 82 came from 19 matches at 4.35, very strong form there too.

I always felt bad for Suma, because if you think Trent Croad copped it bad at the Dockers - it was nothing compared to Sumich.

When Craig Turley called it quits in 1993, I heard one of those news updates with "and a Star Eagle calls it quits !", I was sure it would be Sumich, how he put up with the flack he copped I don't know.

Yes his form dropped away after hitting his peak time a little earlier than most, and the teamed moved away from playing mainly to him in 1994 (which was reflected in how even Suma, Lewis and Heady were on goals for that year), but he played some excellent years for the club and I think some people forget that at times.

 

[Sera]

The only player we have had to break the ton in a single year. A very good player in the early nineties but faded quicker than his contemporaries. He was a bit of an enigma, his kicking (unfairly) got a lot of press in the media and he had a bit of a love/hate relationship with the fans.

 

[ozzult]

I loved him when I was a kid. Defintely my favourite player from back then.

 

[Qidds]

Oddly enough, Round 4, 1997 against Hawthorn at Subi. This was in the middle of his brief comeback, having spent the previous season playing CHB for Souths. He kicked 7 that night, despite taking only 1 mark. He played on Mark Graham who, despite dominating the one-on-one contests, had to watch all Suma's toe-pokes, mid-air hacks and wrong-footed snaps go through for goals.

Maybe not Suma's finest hour, but a memorable one for anyone that was standing in the right forward pocket at the City End that night.

 

[materamagic]

Originally posted by Qidds
Oddly enough, Round 4, 1997 against Hawthorn at Subi. This was in the middle of his brief comeback, having spent the previous season playing CHB for Souths. He kicked 7 that night, despite taking only 1 mark. He played on Mark Graham who, despite dominating the one-on-one contests, had to watch all Suma's toe-pokes, mid-air hacks and wrong-footed snaps go through for goals.

Maybe not Suma's finest hour, but a memorable one for anyone that was standing in the right forward pocket at the City End that night.

was that the game where he soccered an incredible goal from far range? i seem to have vague meemories of him doing that and getting a few bags in his later playing days

 

[Goldenblue]

John Todd wanted this player and had the foresight to see the talent in this player. Todd deserves more credit at the Eagles for some of the players MM coached.

My best memory would be the 13 goal hauls he kicked against Footscray in 1991. Better than Scotty's 14 IMHO.

The 92 Semi final against Geelong was a beauty for Suma too.

I was a big fan of this man. Though it was frustrating at times to see him kick say 6 goals 11, he was bloody good in the leading and marking contests, though when you had a player of the caliber of Kemp kicking the ball onto your chest it helped.

I thought MM was harsh on him for dropping him and not really giving him a chance to play out of the rut he was in at the time, but Suma being the champ he is, did come back.

I am happy he is at the club alongside Woosha and I do hope he will taste premiership success again this time as part of the coaching team.

 

[Streaker]

Peter Sumich

Height: 192cm
Weight: 91kg
Recruited From: South Fremantle
First Senior Game: 1986
Born: 11/01/1968 at Fremantle
School Attended: St Brendans College
Favourite Singer/Group: Phil Collins
Most Admired Footballer: Stephen Michael

 

[GoEagles]

Was that the game where Judge moved Graham into the Hawthorn forward line and Suma had to follow Graham down the field and play as a defender for half the game?

 

[back pocket]

Just about everyone had a strong opinion on Suma in his playing days. He was either loved or hated by the eagle fans. Never inbetween. I defended him so many times with so many eagle fans, you'd think I was the eagle fan. Fortunately for me I wasn't, but I still reckon he was a great player, with a magnificent long range kick for goal, that few have surpassed.

 

[Captain Random]

He always came up with the goods in finals. And I'm still upset that the moment he kicked his ton, Ch 7 cut to an ad. Pricks.

If they were in the habit of naming the playing surface at Subi, they should name the grandstand boundary on the 50m line at the Subi end the "Peter Sumich Boundary", because he never seemed to miss from there.

 

[vicki]

Suma

Suma was my favourite Eagle. I was at the game against Footscray when he kicked the 13 goals and it was an awesome performance. ( I still have the game on video!). Another great game was against Essendon at the MCG when he kicked more than the entire Essendon score. I think it was something like 11goals 13 behinds. He should have broken Fred Fanning's record that day. My brother was at the game and rang me so I could listen to the Essendon crowd chanting"Sumich is a w...er" as he kicked goal after goal. His games in finals showed what a true champion he was. The mark of a great player is how they play in a final and Suma was superb. I had many a "discussion" with fellow fans at games during his later years. Each club has some supporters who pick on a particular player and there were more than a few who chose Suma. My son wore the number 4 with great pride when he was a little fella. Suma was also always great to his many fans and always ready to sign an autograph or have a photo taken with the kids. I am so happy that he returned to the club when Woosha did - I remember Schwab saying he had Suma all but signed up to assist at the Dorkers - but Suma went where his heart was.
My sad Suma moment was the look on his face after East Perth had beaten his South Fremantle team in the 2001 Grand Final. I was torn between my love for the mighty Royals and Suma that day!

 

[carlyp]

Re: Suma

Originally posted by vicki
Suma was my favourite Eagle. I was at the game against Footscray when he kicked the 13 goals and it was an awesome performance. ( I still have the game on video!). Another great game was against Essendon at the MCG when he kicked more than the entire Essendon score. I think it was something like 11goals 13 behinds. He should have broken Fred Fanning's record that day. My brother was at the game and rang me so I could listen to the Essendon crowd chanting"Sumich is a w...er" as he kicked goal after goal. His games in finals showed what a true champion he was. The mark of a great player is how they play in a final and Suma was superb. I had many a "discussion" with fellow fans at games during his later years. Each club has some supporters who pick on a particular player and there were more than a few who chose Suma. My son wore the number 4 with great pride when he was a little fella. Suma was also always great to his many fans and always ready to sign an autograph or have a photo taken with the kids. I am so happy that he returned to the club when Woosha did - I remember Schwab saying he had Suma all but signed up to assist at the Dorkers - but Suma went where his heart was.
My sad Suma moment was the look on his face after East Perth had beaten his South Fremantle team in the 2001 Grand Final. I was torn between my love for the mighty Royals and Suma that day!

Totally agree. Great post Vicki.

When I saw the guys train one day at leederville oval, Malthouse had Sumich running laps of the oval while the other boys did drills. I can remember thinking, what a prick is Malthouse! Poor Suma certainly got treated badly in the end. I believe the treatment of Suma in the end and the Judge years where the worst two times at the club.
Good old Suma gave his heart to the club!