Peterson was born in Meekatharra, Western Australia, and moved to Kununurra when he was two before moving to Perth to complete high school, where he trained and played football with the Clontarf Football Academy.
Peterson made his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2010 AFL season and performed well, kicking a goal and gathering 15 disposals in the first half before copping a heavy knock early in the second half.[4] He played seventeen games for Hawthorn, all in 2010.