Welcome BigFooty Saints Board Introductions - What's your background in following the Saints?

[Adam H]

41, couple of kids and live in the Yarra Valley. Played 350 odd games now coach three sides just to prove I have no life. Biggest highlight was having the great man Nicky Winmar play with us in 2000 and we won a flag. He had my ute for 6 months and he loved it.

 

[boydie]

31, male grew up in and around Frankston/SE Melb, work in banking.
Went to my first game at Moorabbin @ 2 weeks old with my mum and dear Grandma who up until this year has just about been to every saints game in Melbourne for the last 30-40 years. She 78 this year and starting to be a bit much travelling into the city on the train etc.
Grandma tells me Rex Hunt even said something like "That is the youngest Saints supporter Ive ever seen at the footy" about me on the AM dial that surely cold raining Saturday arvo hehe
Growing up Harvs was my favorite for most of my younger days, although Dean Rice was also up there as well as Nicky Winmar, Burkey, Buckets, Spud, Plugger
Was a big Dal Santo fan and still think he is a good player now!
Favs at the moment are "Jacky Moon" Steven , Armo, "Little Jack" Lonie, Sincs, Jack Billings, BRRRRRUUUUUCCEEE and Nafe Wright prob, but enjoying the youngens getting lots of game time and having a good crack!

 

[Saint Christopher]

45yo, 45 yrs a Saint. Three kids. Novelist, short story writer and uni lecturer and run my own writing school. Parents migrated to St. Kilda from India in 1970. We lived on Alma Road. Dad learnt pretty quick that having a team was a good assimilation technique so chose the home suburb.

I never had a choice, older cousins adopted Saints as their team- more a survival instinct, as you did not want to live in St. Kilda and not barrack for the Saints. Went to Moorabbin weekly, sat under the windsock – people used to call my cousin and I the Krakouer brothers. Used to go to training when I got a car – three cans watching the boys train. Struck up a bit of a friendship with Nicky W – not a close one, very reserved bloke, but he used to run over when he saw me and laugh about how many beers I had. Used to go to reserves games every week.

I was a good cricketer and hockey player but was never any good at footy – was pretty gutless tbh! (Very outside and one paced!)

Rarely get to games now as I live in Sydney but until recently was into watching TAC games etc. Usually get to see the Saints via afl website if nowhere else. No time to do phantom drafts like I used to, or even post here much anymore.

Never had another team, never will have. STKFC for me is part of my family, fellow Sainters are like cousins. When someone bags one of our team or we lose I feel like someone in the family is very sick and needs our help.

Harvey, Barks, Lenny, Roo and Leowe – (Nicky as well as he did not want to leave) my favourites. All those blokes could have left, all stayed.

 

[austinnn]

No long gone, I sold my old wooly Nicky Winmar jumper from 97 to some guy on SS for $150 so I don't think I'm very sentimental. I wasn't on the Blues for long but my brother keeps reminding me of a photo in a Blues T shirt a relative gave me...he stuck with the Blues. We actually grew up in a hippy commune in Nimbin in northern NSW and came back to Melbourne at about 5yo. Moved to Carlton when hippies took over the suburb. Footy was the thing I identified that could stop me from being a long haired weirdo at school. It was the universal bond in a multicultural area. Anyway my Grandfather got me onto the Saints...I still blame him.

Now THAT is an interesting life! Coming from a very similar but very different place myself.

 

[sonnywalters]

51 year old
Police Officer for past 28 years.
Grew up on farm outside Swan Hill Vic.
3 x children eldest a Fireman, 2nd a Primary School teacher and high school student.
Supported Saints since I can remember because my closest cousin and aunty were both mad Saints people.

Thats a lot of officialdom in the one family!
Also good to know someone around here who can keep the riff raff out and sort out any criminal activity

 

[cooperrules]

I was raised by wolves.

 

[gringo2011]

Thats a lot of officialdom in the one family!
Also good to know someone around here who can keep the riff raff out and sort out any criminal activity

There seems to be a lot of police and firies that follow the Saints. It might be demographic thing.

 

[Moral Decay]

I was raised by wolves.

My dog thinks I'm fantastic.

 

[lenny_07]

35 year old male from Sydney. Grew up supporting the Swans but was kind of forced to barrack for the Saints when I moved to Melbourne in 98 (not that I'm complaining! Saints man through and through now.)

Happily married and had my first (of hopefully many) son a year and a half ago.

Favourite saints memory would be when I won the Norm Smith, but I would give it back in a heartbeat for a premiership medal.



Actually, sorry, I'm confusing myself for someone else....

 

[sonnywalters]

There seems to be a lot of police and firies that follow the Saints. It might be demographic thing.

We need a Firey at games next time Billings or Bruuuuuce sets alight! We dont want it spreading in to the terraces at Etihad endangering the public.

 

[Mat Mann]

I'm Mat, 40yo, 2 kids, wife, dog, Live in leafy Eltham, but grew up in a tiny Northern Vic. town Been a Saints supporter since birth, Primary school teacher and town legend was Jim Wallis(39games), incidentally Molly Meldrum grew up down the road ( not that he ever admits to coming from my town ), along with country singer John Williamson ( next door neighbour ).

My grandfather was pretty special in footy terms, lifetime member of CollingwoodFC, honorary lifetime member of the then Victorian Country Football League ( now AFL Victoria Country ), Central Murray Football League, and Tyntynder football club, for lifetime services rendered, my uncle played 600 senior games, was recruited by Geelong in the early 70's but turned it down to continue to work on the family farm.

My talent didn't extend as far as my uncles unfortunately, only quit playing 5 years ago after a work accident claimed my right leg.

Aussie Jones has been my fav saints player, and haven't had a fav since

 

[bluejay_BE]

38 yo, wife and a kid, and another one on the way. I am from Barcelona (and thus, a FC Barcelona ultrafan, season ticket holder, and played for their junior teams as a 10yo goalkeeper, but was never good enough, so settled as 4th-5th division team goalkeeper). I retired of soccer at 28 to the founder of the first footy team in Barcelona and co-founder of the LFAC (Catalan AFL).
When aussie rules football games were first seen in Spain thanks to Canal + back in the 90s I thought it was a very weird game and I liked it, but never followed up. Then, in the early 2000s I got my hands into a PC game called AFL Live 2004 (released in 2003) and for whatever reason chose the Saints as my team. Got hooked up immediately and started looking for more information on australian football, the AFL, St Kilda and being a Saints fan. Have been a StKilda man through and through since then, and will always be.
I have played, coached and been president footy at local level and at European level, representing my nation (Catalonia) at AFL Europe events 4 times, always as a full back. Had to retire due to family and work, but I am looking forward to the day I can teach my 2.5 yo son how to kick a footy. I learned how to play thanks to aussies living in Barcelona who I convinced to come play at our club. My best aussie mate barracks for the magpies but his unfortunate choice of a club to follow doesn't mean he is bad a teaching the game. He was our coach for various years until he moved back down under and with him I learned to kick bananas and torpedos, to lead into space and to handball into advantage. All those things that you cannot learn only by reading or watching footy but if a coach tells them to you. Within the years I taught my wife about AFL and the Saints and she is now a supporter for life also, up to the point that she waked up with me to watch footy finals back in 2010.
Moved to Belgium 2 years ago for work with the family, and I follow Saints games through the AFL website as a Saints member. I have watched EACH and EVERY StKilda game since 2006, back in the day I used to download them from the internet and watch them 3-5 days later. I still may watch them a bit late in the week, but I do not miss them for anything.
Unfortunately I have never set foot in Australia. I plan to change that at some point in the future, and when I do... be sure I will peregrinate to all Saints-linked places: Moorabbin, Waverley Park, MCG, Etihad, Seaford... Lenny Hayes house!!! And hopefully I can attend a Saints game live once in my lifetime at least!

Fav player is of course Lenny, but also Rooey, Dal Santo and Harvey. My wife's fav is Fisher. Non-Saints, that would have to be Brett Kirk, as I got the luxury to know him and his family in person when he came to Barcelona when he retired to give footy-clinics around Europe and I helped settle in my city for nearly 2 months and my family and his spent some time together those weeks. Great bloke, amazing family, and truly dedicated to sharing his passion for aussie rules football around the world.

Best memory is winning the QF against Geelong and the PF against the Doggies en route to the 2010 GF. Worst is the drawn GF and the subsequent replay debacle.
Also, when my wife got me a Saints official jumper signed by all players for my birthday. I do not know really how she got Lenny Hayes to send it to us here in Europe, and I am not sure I want to know either. But since then he is more than my favorite player for me.

Australian football is the best sport in the world and I wish more people in Europe would come to realize it, but nevertheless I am happy I can at least watch the games online. I still love soccer and FC Barcelona and was in attendance in the Champions League final we won against Arsenal in Paris in 2006. If I had to choose between the two, I could not, as FC Barcelona i entrenched in my family life as my grandpa used to bring my brother and me to the games at Camp Nou as little kids and the memories there are very fond, but St Kilda has also made a space in my heart for itself for ever.

 

[karaoke]

38 yo, wife and a kid, and another one on the way. I am from Barcelona (and thus, a FC Barcelona ultrafan, season ticket holder, and played for their junior teams as a 10yo goalkeeper, but was never good enough, so settled as 4th-5th division team goalkeeper). I retired of soccer at 28 to the founder of the first footy team in Barcelona and co-founder of the LFAC (Catalan AFL).
When aussie rules football games were first seen in Spain thanks to Canal + back in the 90s I thought it was a very weird game and I liked it, but never followed up. Then, in the early 2000s I got my hands into a PC game called AFL Live 2004 (released in 2003) and for whatever reason chose the Saints as my team. Got hooked up immediately and started looking for more information on australian football, the AFL, St Kilda and being a Saints fan. Have been a StKilda man through and through since then, and will always be.
I have played, coached and been president footy at local level and at European level, representing my nation (Catalonia) at AFL Europe events 4 times, always as a full back. Had to retire due to family and work, but I am looking forward to the day I can teach my 2.5 yo son how to kick a footy. I learned how to play thanks to aussies living in Barcelona who I convinced to come play at our club. My best aussie mate barracks for the magpies but his unfortunate choice of a club to follow doesn't mean he is bad a teaching the game. He was our coach for various years until he moved back down under and with him I learned to kick bananas and torpedos, to lead into space and to handball into advantage. All those things that you cannot learn only by reading or watching footy but if a coach tells them to you. Within the years I taught my wife about AFL and the Saints and she is now a supporter for life also, up to the point that she waked up with me to watch footy finals back in 2010.
Moved to Belgium 2 years ago for work with the family, and I follow Saints games through the AFL website as a Saints member. I have watched EACH and EVERY StKilda game since 2006, back in the day I used to download them from the internet and watch them 3-5 days later. I still may watch them a bit late in the week, but I do not miss them for anything.
Unfortunately I have never set foot in Australia. I plan to change that at some point in the future, and when I do... be sure I will peregrinate to all Saints-linked places: Moorabbin, Waverley Park, MCG, Etihad, Seaford... Lenny Hayes house!!! And hopefully I can attend a Saints game live once in my lifetime at least!

Fav player is of course Lenny, but also Rooey, Dal Santo and Harvey. My wife's fav is Fisher. Non-Saints, that would have to be Brett Kirk, as I got the luxury to know him and his family in person when he came to Barcelona when he retired to give footy-clinics around Europe and I helped settle in my city for nearly 2 months and my family and his spent some time together those weeks. Great bloke, amazing family, and truly dedicated to sharing his passion for aussie rules football around the world.

Best memory is winning the QF against Geelong and the PF against the Doggies en route to the 2010 GF. Worst is the drawn GF and the subsequent replay debacle.
Also, when my wife got me a Saints official jumper signed by all players for my birthday. I do not know really how she got Lenny Hayes to send it to us here in Europe, and I am not sure I want to know either. But since then he is more than my favorite player for me.

Australian football is the best sport in the world and I wish more people in Europe would come to realize it, but nevertheless I am happy I can at least watch the games online. I still love soccer and FC Barcelona and was in attendance in the Champions League final we won against Arsenal in Paris in 2006. If I had to choose between the two, I could not, as FC Barcelona i entrenched in my family life as my grandpa used to bring my brother and me to the games at Camp Nou as little kids and the memories there are very fond, but St Kilda has also made a space in my heart for itself for ever.

Great read,

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

41, Rosanna, married Saints supporting girl & now have 2 mad little Sainters as well. Went to primary school with the great tbarker, 2 of only 3 Saints supporters in the school.

Dad grew up in Grosvenor St, East St Kilda & was at the GF in 66 (I still have his footy record from that famous day). 1st game was the draw with the Tigers at the G in 1980... I was hooked.

Loved the 80's going to Moorabbin & many of the old suburban grounds with Dad (you can actually see him in the background of the footage of Phil Carman head butting the umpire). We stood in the forward pocket at that end right through until I was old enough to sneak into the Animal Enclosure with a few mates. Barks was my hero in those days...got to meet him a few times at footy clinics and in the social club one day after dad got an invite to watch the game there (it was like getting invited to meet the Queen to me!)

So happy that I got to see Plugger in full flight... those few years (87, 91, 92) when he really got rolling were phenomenal to watch first hand. Winmar was my favourite though... just totally loved watching him at his best.

Now it's all about instilling my love of the club in my kids... my daughter adores Jack Billings and my little guy is Rooey mad (although Brucey is his new favourite & there's a pic in the Saints online magazine of the two of them at the kids clinic).

Will always love my Saints, it's in my blood... when we lost dad 20 years ago, we buried him in my Saints jumper with #23 on the back.

 

[gringo2011]

41, Rosanna, married Saints supporting girl & now have 2 mad little Sainters as well. Went to primary school with the great tbarker, 2 of only 3 Saints supporters in the school.

Dad grew up in Grosvenor St, East St Kilda & was at the GF in 66 (I still have his footy record from that famous day). 1st game was the draw with the Tigers at the G in 1980... I was hooked.

Loved the 80's going to Moorabbin & many of the old suburban grounds with Dad (you can actually see him in the background of the footage of Phil Carman head butting the umpire). We stood in the forward pocket at that end right through until I was old enough to sneak into the Animal Enclosure with a few mates. Barks was my hero in those days...got to meet him a few times at footy clinics and in the social club one day after dad got an invite to watch the game there (it was like getting invited to meet the Queen to me!)

So happy that I got to see Plugger in full flight... those few years (87, 91, 92) when he really got rolling were phenomenal to watch first hand. Winmar was my favourite though... just totally loved watching him at his best.

Now it's all about instilling my love of the club in my kids... my daughter adores Jack Billings and my little guy is Rooey mad (although Brucey is his new favourite & there's a pic in the Saints online magazine of the two of them at the kids clinic).

Will always love my Saints, it's in my blood... when we lost dad 20 years ago, we buried him in my Saints jumper with #23 on the back.

I had mates who played with Brett Bowie at St Kilda city and got to know him a bit .... the thrill for us when he played big league footy was huge. That connection to a players career makes a huge impact on supporters. We willed his every kick...he wasn't quite Barks though. I had another mate from primary school Ronny DeIulio who got to play in a premiership for Carlton and I had to balance my hatred for Carlton with hoping he went well.

 

[Saint Christopher]

41, Rosanna, married Saints supporting girl & now have 2 mad little Sainters as well. Went to primary school with the great tbarker, 2 of only 3 Saints supporters in the school.

Dad grew up in Grosvenor St, East St Kilda & was at the GF in 66 (I still have his footy record from that famous day). 1st game was the draw with the Tigers at the G in 1980... I was hooked.

Loved the 80's going to Moorabbin & many of the old suburban grounds with Dad (you can actually see him in the background of the footage of Phil Carman head butting the umpire). We stood in the forward pocket at that end right through until I was old enough to sneak into the Animal Enclosure with a few mates. Barks was my hero in those days...got to meet him a few times at footy clinics and in the social club one day after dad got an invite to watch the game there (it was like getting invited to meet the Queen to me!)

So happy that I got to see Plugger in full flight... those few years (87, 91, 92) when he really got rolling were phenomenal to watch first hand. Winmar was my favourite though... just totally loved watching him at his best.

Now it's all about instilling my love of the club in my kids... my daughter adores Jack Billings and my little guy is Rooey mad (although Brucey is his new favourite & there's a pic in the Saints online magazine of the two of them at the kids clinic).

Will always love my Saints, it's in my blood... when we lost dad 20 years ago, we buried him in my Saints jumper with #23 on the back.

Fantastic read mate, great memories. My aunts would have been your Dad's neighbours at one stage iirc. We probably even went to the same games during that era! Were you at the game v Adelaide when Winmar came off the bench after a lay off with injury and with his first kick hit Plugger on the chest. I thought the roof was going to come of the stand in that moment, the roar! Think Plugger kicked ten that day and Russell Morris took twenty marks or similar.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Fantastic read mate, great memories. My aunts would have been your Dad's neighbours at one stage iirc. We probably even went to the same games during that era! Were you at the game v Adelaide when Winmar came off the bench after a lay off with injury and with his first kick hit Plugger on the chest. I thought the roof was going to come of the stand in that moment, the roar! Think Plugger kicked ten that day and Russell Morris took twenty marks or similar.

Yes mate, was definitely there that day. I think Banger got it to Cuz, who hit Plugger & the ground just exploded. We were sitting right on the fence on the grandstand side by then, in the area just along from the Animal Enclosure.... I'd sit with mum & dad till 1/4 time then wander over to the enclosure & enjoy the lunatics carry on in there!

It's a small Saintly world!

 

[dct66]

Born in Northern Ireland, my family emigrated to Melbourne arriving in January 1975 just before my 13th birthday. Saw my first game of Aussie Rules at Moorabbin in May that year against Footscray. Sainters won by 11 points and I mean 11 points, 7.23 to 7.12. I've seen all the St Kilda greats of the last 40 years play. Loved to see Trevor Barker fly for marks on the back line and Cowboy popping through goals at the South Road End. I remember the day Barry Breen played his 300th I still have my certificate, but enough of the old days.

I love the current list and where we are heading. I love going to Etihad to see the team play, truth be known I'd just about go anywhere in Melbourne to see them play.

 

[Dopey BJ]

Gotta say I am loving this thread, such a terrifically diverse group of supporters.
great to hear the stories of all the peeps on here

 

[mighty_sainters]

25, Jarrad from Perth, adopted Victorian. My dad was a Saint from a young age, apparently because of the close ties between his local WAFL club Swan districts. When the Eagles and dockers came into the competition he was probably one of few who never jumped on the bandwagon, so we've been Stkilda fans for life.

Been a member since the 90's, and as you can see in my avatar I was lucky enough to run out the banner with Burkey and the boys in 1998 at Subiaco oval. Through that my dad got to know one of the guys running the show and for the next 6 years everytime stkilda came to Perth we would help out in the change rooms which was awesome. Use to play kick to kick with Gherig pre match haha. Been to Melbourne at least once a year for the past 15 years to catch a game at etihad, and also went over for the most recent Grand finals! Jumped 2 metres in the air when Goddard took that screamer but a great memory was seeing Milne kick 11 against Brisbane!

Girlfriend is unfortunately an Eagle, but I'm working on changing that!

 

[J_Rod]

Long time spectator, first time poster..
35yo from Gippsland. Own my own business down here so that limits my ability to get to games. The Collingwood game being the only game I've gotten to this year...

4th generation Saints supporter and my 4 month old son, who I aptly named Jack, makes it 5.

When I met my wife she was a Carlton supporter, but that was never going to cut it in my house. That and the fact that she grew an unhealthy admiration of Fraser Gehrig..

Plugger was always my favourite as a kid then Burkey and of course Banger. I'm spreading the love evenly with the new crop.

Love reading everything you all post on here, though I may have to take some leave over the draft and trade periods after looking at my productivity at work last year...
Cheers!

 

[busso_mick]

55 years old, married with 2 daughters, live in Perth. I was born in Melbourne and have followed the Saints since I can remember. My grandparents ran a pub in St Kilda (I think it was near St Kilda Junction) and my Dad was a Sainter so I followed suit. I have vivid memories of Dad going to the 1966 Grand Final and him coming home for tea with a smile as big as Christmas. Also have some old home video of me in my Saints jumper (#4 on the back for Doc) trying to learn how to handball(without much success). We moved to Perth in 1969 and I started to follow Subiaco as that was where I went to school. The St Kilda connection of Ross Smith and Brian Sierakowski was an added bonus, particularly when Subiaco won the 1973 flag after a 49 year drought. If following St Kilda has taught me one thing, it is to hang tough and be loyal and resilient when things aren't going your way. I remember a period of around 4 years in the early 1980's when both St Kilda and Subiaco winning on the same weekend happened only once that I could recall.

I only get to the see the Saints once or twice a year when they come to Perth, but it is something I look forward to immensely. I was there at the drawn 2010 Grand Final and will be there when we get to the big dance again. I am very confident that we are very methodically assembling a side for continued success, with our drafting of the last 2 years the equal of any side in the competition. Our management and our coaching staff have given me great faith we are on the right track, and if we stick to our guns we will give ourselves every chance of becoming premiers in a few years time. Carna Mighty Saints!

 

[sverik25]

Mods should pin this thread so that new posters can introduce themselves when they join BF.

 

[Highlander35]

Well, might as well.

21 years old. Born in Glasgow. Living in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. Picked up the saints because the 2nd cousins were Sainters when we visited in 06, members since we moved here in 2008.

First game where I fell in love with the Saints and footy overall was the Freo game in 09, BG kicked 4 in the first quarter and I have been a dedicated fan since, first of footy in general, but has slid back to being the mighty saints since the Rebels came to town.

Not missed a final in my 7 seasons so far, and try to get to as many as I can, struggled the last couple of years to keep up.

Enthusiasm and winning was what drew me in, but I'm here to stay, through thick and thin, and every abysmal performance. I am a Scottish Rugby fan, I'm more than used to it.

 

[MacMcMurphy]

44 years young boy. Grew up in Europe, moved to Melbourne in 2005, had seven great years watching as many Saints and Sandy games as I could, moved to NE USA for three years, now back in Australia in Perth.

Almost instantly fell in love with the Saints watching my first game on my first weekend in Melbourne (oh, Kosi, you were the man !!). Struggling to have my kids keep the faith (one is close to desertion to the Eagles), love Salinger, Southampton (LeGod is even bigger than Kosi), RC and Mac.