East Fremantle and Geelong champion Brian Peake inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame

HALL OF FAME: BRIAN Peake didn't have a football hero - his idol was a surfer and a football career was never part of the plan.

BRIAN Peake didn't have a football hero - his idol was a surfer and a football career was never part of the plan.

Peake grew up in Perth thumbing a lift to the beach where he spent his days catching waves and his hero was pro surfing pioneer Ian Cairns.

BELOW: Click through to read about all the AFL Hall of Fame inductees and legend Royce Hart

But the East Fremantle and Geelong champion credits his love of surfing as a vital ingredient in a career that spanned 402 games.

“I never did weights when I played football, I just used the body strength from paddling, standing up and surfing,'' Peake said.

“I believe that's where it set me up with the strength and for recovery. I never had a hamstring, didn't even know what they were.

“Knees, groins, it never happened. So the saltwater must do something for you.''

Peake was literally plucked out of the water by an East Fremantle official in 1970, two weeks after he had played in an intra-club game for Perth and been rejected.

“I only played because all my mates played,'' he said.

“One shot I had and they said `you're no good, too slow, never make it'.

So I said 'fine I'm going back to the beach'.

“It didn't worry me.''

Having fended off approaches from most of the VFL teams as his WAFL career blossomed, the two-time All-Australian captain eventually relented at 27 and joined the Cats mid-way through the 1981 season.

Peake reasoned Geelong would provide a similar lifestyle to Perth and Bells Beach became his new sanctuary.

“At the end of the day I just wanted to go and test myself and I would have been kicking myself if I didn't do it,'' he said.

His arrival at Geelong provides one of footy folklore's great tales, with officials from the Cats collecting him from Tullamarine and taking him to Kardinia Park by helicopter for his first training session.

“We got to the Yarra and there was a helicopter on a pontoon and I'm going `you've got to be kidding me','' Peake said.

“We flew down to Geelong and landed on the rugby oval outside with about 3000 people waiting.

“I couldn't believe it.

“I just went numb. I thought this is ridiculous.

“I hated flying at the best of times.

"I walked in, got a jumper and went out and trained.''

Peake's accolades include the 1977 Sandover Medal, the Tassie Medal at the 1979 national championships and a record six Lynn medals as East Fremantle's fairest and best.

The versatile midfielder won three premierships with the Sharks and as arguably WA's greatest State of Origin player, his absence from the Hall of Fame has long been a sore point in the west.

Peake, the father of former Fremantle and St Kilda player Brett, said his inclusion was recognition for a wonderful era of WA football.

“We had a very strong competition in the WAFL back in the 70s and 80s and it was a pretty high standard and we proved that in the State of Origin games,'' he said.

“This has topped off my playing career actually. It's the icing on the cake with the cherry as well.

“What I've done in football and what I've achieved is far beyond what I thought I could.''

Being an inaugural West Coast Eagle would have been the perfect finale to Peake's career, but the then 33-year-old was overlooked despite starring with seven goals in a 1986 State of Origin match.

“I wanted to be because I was still playing good football. I think it was the age, but I played on for another three years,'' he said.

“It would have been nice, but hey it's one hell of a journey for a kid that got told he was no good.''

Best player seen
"Leigh Matthews. Just his ability to get the ball given the size of the guy. I thought if he can make it, well I'm capable of that."

Best player played with
"Gary Ablett Sr. What he did on the football field was just unbelievable. I don't think anyone could stop him on his day, he was just too strong."

Best player played against: Leigh Matthews.