Peter Box

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (1932–2018)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Use Australian English|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Peter Box

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date |1932|3|22|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|8|15|1932|3|22|df=yes}}

| death_place =

| originalteam = Wesley College, Melbourne

| height = 180 cm

| weight = 79 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1957

| years1 = 1951–1957

| club1 = Footscray

| games_goals1 = 107 (43)

| years2 = 1958

| club2 = Camberwell

| games_goals2 = 11 (5)

| games_goalstotal = 118 (48)

| careerhighlights = *VFL premiership: 1954

• Brownlow Medal: 1956
• Charles Sutton Medal: 1955

}}

Peter Box (22 March 1932 – 15 August 2018{{cite web| url = https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/bulldogs-mourn-death-of-1956-brownlow-medallist-peter-box-20180816-p4zxx1.html| title = Bulldogs mourn death of 1956 Brownlow medallist Peter Box| date = 16 August 2018}} ) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1950s.

Box arrived at Footscray from Cheltenham, where he won the 1950 Federal Football League best and fairest award{{cite web |title=1950 - FOOTSCRAY SEEK FIRST PREMIERSHIP |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23078364 |publisher=The Argus |access-date=2 June 2024 |page=5 |date=7 September 1951}} and made his VFL debut in 1951.{{cite web |title=1950 - Footscray's Bid Gains Centreman |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244253542 |publisher=The Herald (Melbourne, Vic) |access-date=2 January 2023 |pages=25 |date=4 August 1950}}

He missed the entire 1952 season through injury after the motor cycle he was riding was hit by a motorist and he suffered critical head and leg injuries.{{cite web |title=1953 - Football star badly hurt. |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23166186 |publisher=The Argus (Melbourne, Vic) |access-date=2 January 2023 |pages=1 |date=3 March 1952}}{{cite web |title=1952 - Box out of danger STAR LIKELY TO PLAY |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23166598 |publisher=The Argus |access-date=2 January 2023 |pages=10 |date=4 March 1952}}

Box returned and played his best football from 1953 onwards. Although he was used mainly as a centreman, Box played at centre half-forward in Footscray's 1954 premiership side. By winning the Brownlow Medal in 1956 Box became the only Footscray premiership player to win the medal. The previous year he won his club's Best and Fairest award.

Box played with Camberwell in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1958 and won their best and fairest award.

Box was captain-coach with Grong Grong Matong Football Club in the South Western District Football League from 1959 to 1961{{cite web |title=Grong Grong Matong |url=https://www.swansonscreen.com/grong-grong-matong |website=Swans on Screen |access-date=24 December 2022}} and won the 1959 South Western District Football League best and fairest award, the Gammage Medal.{{cite web |title=1981 - South Western DFL Grand Final Record |url=https://www.nswfootballhistory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1981-09-26-SWDFL-The-SouWester-Vol.-21-No.-22.pdf |website=NSW Football History |publisher=SWDFL |access-date=24 December 2022 |pages=19 |date=26 September 1981}}

Box then coached Narrandera Football Club in the South Western District Football League from 1962 to 1964 and later played in their 1966 premiership side.{{cite web |author1=Tom Goss |title=Tom Goss's Football Stories – Part II, Narrandera Sportsground Field of Dreams |url=https://www.nswfootballhistory.com.au/tag/peter-box/ |website=NSW Football History |access-date=24 December 2022 |date=15 November 2020}}

Box returned to play with Grong Grong Matong Football Club from 1967 to 1969, to finish off a fine football career.{{cite web |title=1969 - South Western DFL Grand Final Programme |url=https://www.nswfootballhistory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1969-09-28-SWDFL-The-Aussie-Ruler-Vol.-9-No.-23.pdf |website=NSW Football History |publisher=SWDFL |access-date=25 December 2022 |pages=37 |date=28 September 1969}}

Box was inducted into the Footscray Hall of Fame in 2018.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame: Peter Box |url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/108272/hall-of-fame-peter-box |website=Western Bulldogs |access-date=24 December 2022 |date=13 May 2018}}

Box was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne.