MOUNT Gambier farewelled one of its sporting legends recently, with the passing of Peter Whitehead in December.
Known by many as Spider, Peter will leave behind a lasting legacy through not only his family, but his many involvements in the sporting clubs of the region.
A successful football career in both the Western Border and Mid South East Football Leagues, along with his involvement in trots and greyhounds later in life were what Peter was best known for.
In his youth, Peter was active in a range of other sports, including boxing, which he did at a local level.
“When he was young he was involved in boxing, he was involved in darts, he was involved in eight-ball,” wife Gidget (Kathleen) Whitehead said.
“His whole family, his father, his uncles and everyone were all involved in that stuff.”
Through the sporting clubs he was involved in, Peter obtained a wealth of friendships and respect, as he formed connections wherever he went.
“The people who knew Peter, I do not know them all,” Gidget said.
“He got out and about in Mount Gambier a lot and he was involved in a lot.
“The amount I have realised since he died, the amount of people that he knew is unbelievable in Mount Gambier.”
Most of Peter’s football career was spent at South Gambier, where he started out in juniors as a 16 year old.
“He started at South in 1965 and come through the junior ranks,” South Gambier president Leigh Winterfield said.
“He was a rugged forward utility and kicked a lot of goals.”
Peter played in the Demons’ A Grade team from 1967 to 1974, where he became well-known and well-liked within the club.
Winterfield described him as “small in stature, but a very strong and rugged footballer who never took a backwards step against a larger opponent”.
Renowned for his drop kick, Peter also brought fame to his playing number with the Demons.
“He made number 31 famous at South,” Winterfield said.
Playing a total of 167 A Grade games and kicking 191 goals for the senior side in his career, the highlight of Peter’s Demon life was winning the 1974 premiership, the club’s first senior flag in the Western Border Football League.
Following this success, Whitehead spent three years at Nangwarry in the Mid South East Football League from 1975 to 1977, where he won the joint Mail Medal in his second year alongside Robe’s Noel Doody.
Playing for South once again in 1978 and 1979, Peter then accepted a coaching role at Glencoe.
He was playing coach for the Murphies in 1980 and 1981, before handing over the reins and focusing predominately on playing in 1982.
With his career drawing to an end, Whitehead returned home for his final year at South Gambier in 1980.
“He later come back (to South) and coached our Under 18’s in 1986 and 87,” Winterfield said.
Possessing a talent for the game, Peter was offered a place at South Adelaide to play earlier in his career, which he did not pursue.
“He was approached to go away in football to South Adelaide, but his mother thought he was too young,” Gidget said.
“So he may have become very good at it.
“He loved his football.”
With Peter Whitehead a household name within the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, he was first involved in the harness racing club before making the transition to dogs.
“He bought a trotting course and he was involved in that a little bit,” Gidget said.
“Then he took on the track over there.
“He was very passionate about that.
“He loved it when people come up and said the track was great – he knew he was doing a good job then.”
Gidget said it was Willie Vossen – a workmate at the time – who sparked Peter’s initial interest in greyhounds and it only escalated from there.
“Willie was the one who started him out, he has a property out at Worrolong,” Gidget said.
“They built all the kennels and bought some dogs and started experimenting.”
Through the club, Peter befriended greyhound trainer Tracie Price, who he became very close with through their shared passion of the sport.
“Tracie Price has 100’s of greyhounds,” Gidget said.
“He trains some, breeds some and some of them are his own.
“Peter built the kennels out there and he used to go out to Tracie’s all the time.
“But this was all behind the scenes, he never got paid for it, he just did it because he loved it.”
It was this passion, not only for greyhounds, but for helping others which saw Peter liked and respected by everyone he dealt with in his life.
“He was always busy,” sister Irene Simmons said.
“Up in the early hours of the morning and off he goes.
“He was a well-loved man and a wild fellow.”
Despite his wealth of friendships and connections, Gidget insists Peter was not famous, but there are likely people within the Mount Gambier community who would disagree.
“Peter was just Peter,” she said.
“As far as being famous or anything, he’s not famous, he’s just plain old Peter Whitehead.
“But he certainly will be missed by a lot of people.
“His grandsons absolutely adored him.”
Another close friend Peter made through the greyhound club was Ken Feltus, who he first met during his time with the harness racing club.
“They used to go over to Victoria and take the dogs to the vets to get checked out and things like that,” Gidget said.
“I did not even really know Ken Feltus until the last two years of Peter’s life.
“He knew him outside of the house you see.
“But when Peter started getting ill, he was coming around all the time.
“He was very close with Peter.”
Peter made many road-trips with both Feltus and Price and had a close bond with both trainers.
“We did a lot of travelling together, we went to Adelaide and Warrnambool and that sort of thing,” Feltus said.
“In the last few years we become great mates because of our involvement in the greyhounds and we spent a lot of time together.
“He loved the dogs, it was a passion.”
This passion saw Peter with plenty of success in the sport, while he also helped many with their own greyhounds.
“Peter was a trainer in his own right, he trained a fair few winners,” Feltus said.
“In the last few years he helped me with my dogs pretty much every day until he got ill.
“We had a fair few winners together.”
Peter also took over Price’s dogs during his suspension last year, which saw him with a number of successes on his friend’s behalf.
“Peter took over his team of dogs last year and won a fair few races for Tracie,” Feltus said.
“That was just before he got ill.”
Peter’s life was one that was lived to the fullest and he has left behind countless memories for everyone he was involved with – whether it be through sport or otherwise – and he will be missed by many.
“Peter was just one of those people who would go and help people,” Feltus said.
“He was a jack-of-all-trades, he could do anything.
“He was just a really well-liked guy, very reliable, honest and a good Aussie bloke.”
