Opportunity is a word used frequently in football but it resonates strongly with Peter Bell.
Bell became the first Fremantle player inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame on Thursday night.
His football story is anything but simple.
But it was that journey that sparked an ethos in Bell that has driven him for decades and one that he willingly shares with anyone wanting to listen.
“My message to young people in the community, when I speak to them, is make the most of opportunity,” he told afl.com.au.
“There are plenty of distractions out there, no one expects you to be perfect through your life, but make the most of opportunities that present.”
Bell lived by that philosophy after his AFL dream came crashing down in just his first season.
He played 163 games for Fremantle but just two during his first stint at the club from 1994 to 1995, as one of the club’s initial draftees.
“It’s a unique story, my story,” he said.
"The fact I could be born in a country like Korea then wind up making a career by playing a uniquely indigenous sport in Australia.
“That was a driving force, this wonderful opportunity that let me play Australian Rules football for 15 years professionally.”
Bell said it was a horrible moment when he was told by then Fremantle coach Gerard Neesham that he would be delisted.
“It’s a horrible feeling having your dream taken away from you when you’re just 19,” he said.
“I was feeling dizzy and everything was going blurry.
“This was my dream that was going to be snubbed out before it even started.”
Bell admitted he did not fit in with Neesham’s footballing philosophy, but his departure from Fremantle and drafting to North Melbourne was a defining moment.
Former Kangaroos coach Denis Pagan called Bell to discuss him moving to Victoria.
Bell then went for a trial with the club.
“Denis introduced me as his little nephew Ricky from Wangaratta,” he said.
Bell backs new foundation
“He didn’t want anyone else to know my identity, I don’t know why, I think he was paranoid some other club was going to draft me.
“I didn’t tell him there had been no interest from any other club at all.”
Bell played in two premierships with North Melbourne, his first just a year after he was delisted.
“It was surreal playing in a premiership a year after being delisted,” he said.
He then returned to Freo in 2001 as captain, leading the club to its first finals campaign in 2003, before retiring in 2008.
Those moments sparked a unwavering drive in Bell, who continues to follow his passions to this day.
“It doesn’t have to be football, it can be whatever is your pursuit in life, but make sure you go for it and attack it with all the dedication you can muster,” he said.
