Peter Wright

Peter Wright (born 7 September 1996) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having been initially drafted to the Gold Coast Suns with pick 8 in the 2014 AFL draft.

He grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds and played junior football for Moonee Valley Football Club.

AFL career

Gold Coast: 2015–2020 Wright established himself as a key marking forward, using his considerable height to his advantage. Wright made his debut in Round 10, 2015, kicking a goal in a losing effort against . In Round 11, 2017, Wright kicked the winning goal against for the Suns’ first win against the Eagles. After his debut season, Wright became a regular of the team, barely missing a game. In 2018, he suffered a knee injury that required rehab. Wright played 17 out of a possible 22 games in season 2019, but the emergence of Ben King in 2019 and the return of Zac Smith meant Wright wasn't able to get a game in 2020.

Essendon: 2021– After six years at the Suns, he was traded to for more opportunities after the 2020 AFL season. Wright made an immediate impact, playing a pivotal role in Essendon’s forward line in the 2021 season. His best performance was in Round 21, where Wright kicked seven goals against the Western Bulldogs in a 13-point win. In Round 8 of the 2022 AFL season, Wright kicked 6 goals in the Bombers’ win over Hawthorn. In Round 14, Wright starred in their upset win against St Kilda, achieving four goals and 14 disposals. At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Wright was named Essendon Best and Fairest, winning the prestigious Crichton Medal as well as the club’s Leading Goalkicker award for his 53-goal season haul.

On 17 March, before Round 1 of the 2023 AFL season, Wright dislocated his shoulder during training after landing awkwardly in a marking contest and has since had a reconstruction of his shoulder.

Following the round two, 2024 match between the Sydney Swans and Essendon, Wright received a four-match suspension for a crude bump on Sydney defender Harry Cunningham, which resulted in Cunningham being substituted out of the match after only five minutes of play in the opening quarter.

Statistics Updated to the end of round 22, 2026.

168 !! 257 !! 139 !! 1207 !! 727 !! 1934 !! 808 !! 263 !! 1.5 !! 0.8 !! 7.2 !! 4.3 !! 11.5 !! 4.8 !! 1.6 !! 23