After playing his junior football with Tongala and some senior games, he moved to Bendigo Teacher's College and played in Sandhurst's 1977 Bendigo Football League premiership side before being recruited by Melbourne where he played 19 senior games during three years with the club.
After Melbourne, Seaton played with Wangaratta Rovers for several years and represented the Ovens & Murray Football League and the Victorian Country Football League in 1981 and 1982.
He was runner-up to Albury’s Rod Coelli in the 1981 Ovens and Murray Football League’s Morris Medal.
Seaton returned to Tongala to play in the Goulburn Valley Football League in 1984 when Tongala won its second successive flag.
He finished his GVL career with Tongala in 1985.
At that time, legendary GVL player and coach Des Campbell was coaching the Blues.
Des described Phil as a fast and polished left footer who played most of his football on a wing.
Seaton is one of 10 Tongala players recruited from Tongala or who played with the club that played at VFL/AFL level.
The list is headed by its first VFL player, pastor Doug Nicholls who played 54 games with Fitzroy.
Archie Shiels (19 games, Carlton), Bob Dawson ( 4 games, St Kilda), Paul Rowe (15 games, North Melbourne), Ian Graham (63 games, Collingwood), Phil Seaton (19 games, Melbourne), Des Campbell (50 games, Melbourne), Brad Campbell (one game, Melbourne), Blake Campbell (11 games, Carlton) and Harley Reid (55 games and counting, West Coast Eagles).
GVL star passes
Another former well-known GVL player, Peter Graham also died suddenly last week. He was 72.
He had a hobby farm at Dederang in Victoria’s North East after leaving his home town of Shepparton.
A hard-nut player, he was a member of Shepparton United’s 1974 GVL premiership side under legendary GVL coach and player Des Campbell which defeated Euroa for the flag.
He was a late call-up to take the full back position in that season decider and was one of United’s best players according to Ross McKellar who played alongside him in a back pocket.
He also coached Dookie reserves and Dookie United when Ross coached the senior side of that club in the mid-1970s.
After his playing days he also had a stint broadcasting GVL games with radio ONEFM and also sat on the GVL tribunal for some years.
Another of his hobbies was breeding and racing pacers, and he shared some memorable moments with a pacer called Petross, whom he raced with Ross McKellar.
Petross won several races and won a Finley Horse Of the Year award, which Peter was very proud of.
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