Vale Peter Davidson

By Ken Casellas

Claremont supporters are mourning the death of the much-loved Peter Davidson, who has died at the age of 60 after a courageous six-year battle with cancer.

Davo, as he was fondly known as, was a blonde bombshell who starred as a dashing, hard-running wingman for the Tigers.

Recruited from Collie as a 19-year-old, he had an outstanding debut season and won the award as Claremont’s best first-year player in 1983.

He went on to play 66 league matches for the Tigers and won the club’s fairest-and-best award in 1985. Such was his brilliance as a wingman that he was chosen in that position in the Daily News WAFL All-star teams in 1984, 1985 and 1986.

In 1985 Davidson finished equal third in the Sandover Medal, and in July 1986 he played on a wing for Western Australia against Victoria in an Australian championship match at Subiaco Oval when he took four marks, had ten kicks and made four handpasses to help the home side win by three points.

It was after his excellent season in 1986 that Davidson was drafted by the West Coast Eagles and had the distinction of being a member of that AFL club’s inaugural team which defeated Richmond by 14 points at Subiaco Oval in 1987 when his teammates included other Claremont stars Steve Malaxos, Chris Lewis, John Annear and Geoff Miles.

Davidson was injured early in that match and after playing in the round-three match against Sydney, a series of soft tissue injuries kept him on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

He did not play in 1998 before returning to Claremont for the 1989 season, with a keen desire to resume his career as a WAFL league player. But after a strong performance in the round one reserves match against Subiaco at Subiaco Oval he was injured at work as a carpenter when a piece of metal flew up and lodged in his left eye. Emergency surgery saved his sight and kept him on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

He then was chosen by the Brisbane Bears in the 1989 national draft, and in his first appearance for that club he scored two goals against Geelong. He went on to play six more matches for the Bears, including a notable performance against the Sydney Swans when he had 28 disposals and five tackles.

Davidson returned to WA after that season, and in 1992 he joined East Fremantle and was a member of the Sharks side which won the premiership that year under the captaincy of Steve Malaxos.

Davidson made seven league appearances for East Fremantle to go with his 66 games for Claremont, two for the Eagles and seven for Brisbane.

Peter Davidson was not only a champion player, but he was a delightful personality who will be missed by all. Claremont president Grant Povey, a Claremont teammate of Davidson’s in 1985 and 1986, and the Tigers board of directors, club officials, players, members and supporters send their condolences to his family and friends.