From Ballarat, Packham started his career at St Kilda in 1982 and kicked 24 goals from 12 appearances that year.
[2] The red haired forward then returned to his original club Redan and in 1981 won the Henderson Medal, awarded to the best and fairest player in the Ballarat Football League.
He was later named as a forward pocket in Redan's official "Team of the 20th Century".
In 1985, he played for Caulfield in the Victorian Football Association, and he finished second in the J.
[3] In 1986, he tied for the Grogan Medal, with Coorparoo's Brendan McMullen, in the 1986 Queensland Australian Football League season with Kedron.