Carlton premiership hero Peter Bosustow passes away after battle with cancer

Carlton is mourning the loss of electrifying goalkicker and two-time premiership player Peter Bosustow, who passed away on Monday at the age of 67.

Carlton and Perth football clubs are mourning the loss of electrifying goalkicker Peter Bosustow, who died on Monday at the age of 67.

Known widely as ‘Buzz’, Bosustow was a forward ace in two Carlton premiership sides, 1981-82, and kicked 146 goals in 65 games with the Blues after crossing the country from WAFL side Perth.

He played 141 games for Perth either side of his VFL stint, and played in the 1977 premiership.

He returned to Perth in 1984 to aid his ill father before heading back to Victoria in late 1985 to have a crack at a Carlton pre-season, only for a nasty ankle injury to squash those hopes.

Bosustow lit up Princes Park crowds in his three seasons with the Blues, winning both the mark and goal of the year in his first year in 1981.

Bosustow played in two Carlton premierships.

Both coming against Geelong, Bosustow rose on top of a pack in the forward pocket to take a monster grab.

Then against the Cats in the second semi-final months later, he pulled off a spectacular smother on Cats star Ian Nankervis, immediately got to his feet and snapped a goal from deep in the pocket at Waverley Park.

Bosustow battled cancer before his death but said the memories of his spectacular double helped keep his spirits going.

“Those awards do stand out and I am pretty humble, but people are still talking about it 45 years later. I have a horse named after me that just finished second at Moonee Valley on Saturday and it all kicks me along. The chemotherapy is pretty brutal so those things are a good reminder,” he told this masthead in September last year.

His Carlton coach, David Parkin, said while the enigmatic Bosustow “tested me like nobody else” the pair remained firm friends after he returned to Western Australia.

“Peter was an exceptional talent. I’ve coached some outstandingly talented players, but on his day Peter could do things on a footy field that few could emulate,” Parkin said.

“What was really good was that despite the ups and downs of a coach-player relationship, we remained really good mates and shared much over the journey. We used to call, text or email each other a lot, particularly in the course of his illness, which began 18 months ago.

“As a player he tested me like nobody else, but he was always quick to apologise to me and the players and it was a bit sad that he decided to go home. But he was a gem of a bloke.”

Bosustow was close with Carlton legend Alex Jesaulenko and his family, with Alex’s daughter Kate starting a fundraising page for Bosustow as he battled cancer.

The Jesaulenko family said on Monday: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to Shelley, Brooke, Brent and all extended families. What a fight you put up Buzz! Forever in our thoughts and hearts.”

The man who was front and centre, for the wrong reasons, in Bosustow’s greatest moments says the Blues hero “had the ability to do the freakish things”.

Geelong great Ian Nankervis had his clearing kick smothered in the second semi-final in 1981, and was stunned to turn around and see Bosustow snap a remarkable goal, that was later deemed goal of the year.

Ian Nankervis (R) was involved in some classic Peter Bosustow moments.

Only six weeks earlier, Nankervis was in front of the waiting pack as Bosustow rode on top of Geelong jumpers to win the mark of the year.

The famous goal, part of a 40-point win that put the Blues into a grand final they would win over the Magpies, is still vivid in Nankervis’ mind almost 44 years later.

“I certainly can visualise and remember it quite distinctly,” he told the Herald Sun on Monday.

“I had no idea where he came from … unfortunately for me and fortunately for him, when he smothered it, it went straight down and didn’t cannon over the boundary line.

“I kept going forward with my momentum so I had no chance to get back before he picked up the ball and kicked it through the goals. I can still see it happening. I had no idea he was there. It was great teamwork by him.”

Nankervis, who was saddened to hear of Bosustow’s passing, said he was often reminded of the moment, a rare lowlight in his superb 325-game career with the Cats.

“There are plenty of people that bring it up. I sort of direct them to some better highlights of me, it shuts them up a bit,” he said with a chuckle.

The Cat also remembered Bosustow’s screamer well.

“I can remember looking up at it. He certainly had that ability to do the freakish things. That was certainly one of them,” he said.

“He was very high up and took a great mark and kick a goal from it, from memory.”

Nankervis said while the enigmatic Bosustow wasn’t blessed with explosive speed, he could conjure the unexpected at any time.

“He wasn’t a guy who had a lot of possessions all the time but he made them count,” Nankervis said.

Originally published as Carlton premiership hero Peter Bosustow passes away after battle with cancer