Peter Bosustow, the charismatic former Carlton footballer who took the game by the throat in the early 1980s, is to be officially inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame on Sunday, in the final formality at Subiaco Oval.

Bosustow, whose 65 action-packed appearances for the Blues took in the back-to-back Grand Final triumphs of 1981 and ’82, becomes the sixth Carltonite to be so honoured after Mike Fitzpatrick, the late Ern Henfry and Ken Hunter (all inducted in 2004), and Syd Jackson in 2015.

Henry (“Ivo”) Crapp, who represented Carlton in the pre-VFL year of 1893 and later officiated in ten Grand Finals in Western Australia from 1906-’14 and 1918, was also inducted in ’04.

Speaking from Perth this week, Bosustow responded to news of his pending induction with uncharacteristic modesty.

“It’s a huge honour. It’s recognition for all the sacrifices you made as a youngster, all the things you had to give up and all the disciplines you had to meet,” Bosustow said. 

“You don’t look for those things but it’s lovely to get them when they come along. It’s a big pat on the back.”

Reflecting on what he considered a rather chequered early career with the Perth Football Club, Bosustow recalled rubbing shoulders with the conditioned WAFL types as a kid of 16.

Through 1977, the then 19 year-old turned out in 23 of 24 senior matches for the season, before buckling with a hamstring injury in the ’77 second semi.

"The Buzz" takes the 1981 Mark of the Year. (Photo: Carlton Football Club)

“I tried to get myself right through 13 of the next 14 days to the Grand Final and while we beat East Fremantle easily I only got 20 minutes of the last quarter as 19^th man,” Bosustow said.

“The following year, I introduced myself to Australian football with seven goals for Perth in the ’78 Grand Final.”

From the moment he followed Hunter in the clubroom and Fitzpatrick down the race, Bosustow put on a show for the Carlton faithful. That he now joins Hunter and Fitzpatrick in the Hall is what pleases him most.

“What’s most important to me in being inducted into the Hall is that I know I’m in elite company,” he said. “I played with both ‘Kenny’ and ‘Fitzy’ and I revered them – one an unbelievable player, the other an unbelievable captain.”

Amongst the eight former players to be inducted with Bosustow on Sunday are the former North Melbourne, Essendon and Sydney on-baller Derek Kickett, Brisbane triple Premiership player Simon Black and the dual Melbourne Best & Fairest Alan Johnson.

One of the game’s biggest names — yet to be revealed — will also be elevated to legend status, and as ‘The Buzz’ unashamedly suggested, “It could well be me”.