Peter Pianto cards whilst playing for Geelong prior to moving to Claremont
Geelong 1951 – 1957 Played 121 Games and Kicked 144 Goals
Claremont 1961 – 1963 Played 43 Games and kicked 36 Goals
One of the finest rovers of the 1950s, Peter Pianto stepped straight into Geelong’s senior side from Bendigo League team Eaglehawk. Combining with Neil Trezise he gave the Cats the greatest roving combination in the league. Pacy, slick, clever and courageous, he was a four quarter player who used the ball impeccably. His 121 VFL games between 1951 and 1957 included the winning Grand Finals of 1951 and 1952, and he represented the VFL in the interstate arena nine times, winning All Australian selection after the 1956 Perth carnival.
Geelong’s best and fairest player in 1953, he spent the period from 1958 to 1960 as captain coach of Polwarth Football League side Coragulac. In 1961 he returned to league football as captain-coach of Claremont where, in three seasons at the helm, he oversaw sixth, seventh and eighth place finishes and added 43 senior games to his tally. From 1966 to 1970 he returned to Geelong as non-playing coach; he got his side into the finals in all bar his last season, but the 1967 losing Grand Final against Richmond was the closest he came to masterminding a premiership.
