When the West Coast Eagles hosted the 1987 squad at Optus Stadium on Sunday there was a noticeable void.

As the 30-odd members of that inaugural squad exchanged hugs and handshakes in the warm-up room in the lead up to the game at the back of their minds was popular teammate Peter Davidson.

He was gravely ill in palliative care in his home town of Collie. After a tenacious six-year fight with cancer he was losing the battle. Knowing the gravity of the situation a number of his former teammates travelled to the South-West town on Saturday.   

Sadly he passed away this morning, with family at his side.

“Davo” played just two games with the Eagles, the club’s first ever match against Richmond which resulted in a momentous victory and the round three loss to Sydney. He was on the list for three years but endured a horrific run of soft tissue injuries.

In 1990 he was given a second chance at Brisbane and played seven games but his body continued to struggle with the demands of the game.

He returned to WA in 1992, but rather than resuming with his original WAFL club Claremont, where he won the 1985 fairest and best award, he lined up with East Fremantle to play with his younger brother Jeff and they tasted premiership glory together.

The raw statistics of nine AFL games, 66 games with Claremont and seven with East Fremantle don’t begin to tell the story of the first man to wear #11 for the Eagles.

A brilliant midfielder and highly regarded teammate his reading on the good bloke metre was off the scale.

He loved a shandy on a hot day and would have revelled in the environment with his 1987 teammates.

No doubt a coldie will be quietly raised in his honour as word of his passing spreads. RIP Davo.