50 Years of the Saints - Countdown to NAB 1, 2017.

[George]

Hey guys & girls,

From today up until the start of our pre-season campaign on February 23rd, I've decided I would post videos of memorable St.Kilda games from 1963-2017 in chronological order. I figure it would be something we can use to pass the time and reminisce on some of our greatest moments. May also be a good way to document a bit of the history of the club on our forum.

For those that were around this time last year you may remember me doing the same thread, albeit from 1986-2016. Please note the games that I will be posting over the next 30 days are not the same as the ones posted last year. If you'd like to check out last years thread, you can do so here.

My first installment will be up shortly, with a brief blurb on the game itself followed by the highlight video. This game, along with each individual game thereafter, will be posted in this thread.

If you were at one of the games I've posted or have any fond memories in the lead up/aftermath of the game, feel free to discuss it in this thread. Any questions let me know.

Cheers & Go Saints!!​

 

[George]

50 Years of the Saints - Countdown to NAB 1, 2017. (30 Days to go)​

​

Round 16, 1963
Date: 24th August, 1963.
Location: Junction Oval
Crowd: 44,900

St.Kilda would host Geelong today at the Junction Oval in what would be the 5th largest crowd for the 1963 VFL season. Led by inspirational skipper Darrel Baldock, the Saints came into today's game at 10 wins 5 losses, with a victory today solidifying their place in the top four. On the other end, the red hot Cats were 12-3 at the conclusion of Round 15, wrestling with Hawthorn for top spot on the VFL ladder.

As history has it, Geelong would face Hawthorn in the 1963 VFL Grand Final in front of 101,000 fans, winning by 49 points. St.Kilda ended the 1963 season in fourth position (13-5), unfortunately losing to Melbourne in the first semi-final by 7 points.

However today would be remembered for a clash between two top four Victorian sides in what was one of the best games of 1963.

​

GOALS:
St.Kilda: Baldock 3, Rowland 3, Morrow 2, Murray 2, K. Roberts, Smith
Geelong: Farmer 2, Vinar 2, Goggin, Lord, Rice, Wade

DISPOSALS:
St.Kilda: N/A
Geelong: N/A

 

[Dard Ball Get]

The more I look at our current emblem, the more I think it could use a refresh. Very "Microsoft Paint".
Interesting thread, look forward to seeing which games you post

 

[kosifantutti]

Commentators Tony Charlton and Ian Clelland?
The black of the shorts doesn't always match the black of the jumper.
If Sam Gilbert were playing he would be lauded as one of the great kicks of the game.

 

[PoppedCorn]

How ******* good is this thread gonna be leading up to the Rd 14 in 09

 

[George]

How ******* good is this thread gonna be leading up to the Rd 14 in 09

Posted that one last year unfortunately mate! You can find it here - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...n-to-nab-1-2016.1120727/page-11#post-42994033

 

[soups1982]

I can safely say I was not at this game...

great initiative though

 

[SaintRick88]

How ******* good is this thread gonna be leading up to the Rd 14 in 09

Watched it last night actually! Cherrie ripe that year, should have gone all the way. You can really see how much weight Roo has dropped since then too - he really was in his prime in '09

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

All i can think of is how s**t that cat looks.

 

[George]

50 Years of the Saints - Countdown to NAB 1, 2017. (29 Days to go)​

Preliminary Final, 1966
Date: 17th September, 1966.
Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Crowd: 93,453

After the disappointment of losing the 1965 VFL Grand Final at the hands of Essendon, the Saints stormed out of the blocks in 1966, winning a club record 8 consecutive games to start the season and finishing the year in 2nd place with a record of 14-4 behind ladder leaders Collingwood (15-3).

In a different finals fixture to what we see in today's modern game, there were only four finals played across the finals series. Semi-Finals one and two were played one week after another, followed by the Preliminary final in week three, and culminating in the Grand Final in week four. 1st & 2nd played each other in the 2nd semi final, with the winner advancing to the Grand Final & the loser to the Preliminary final, whilst 3rd & 4th played off in the first semi final with the winner moving onto the Preliminary final and the loser eliminated.

Essendon were too good for Geelong in the 1st semi final, winning by 10 points and moving on to face St.Kilda who lost narrowly to 1st placed Collingwood the week after, also by 10 points.

With Collingwood's victory over St.Kilda it gave the Magpies the week off, and the Saints would have to run the gauntlet to make it to the Grand Final for the second year in a row, in hope of avenging the disappointment of the year before and winning an historic first St.Kilda premiership. They'd first need to get the business done here, however.

We resume play in the fourth quarter of a mud soaked MCG - in front of 93,000 fans.​

​

GOALS:
St.Kilda: Neale 4, Morrow 3, Davis 3, Griffiths, Cooper, Bingley, Read, Payze
Essendon: Mitchell 2, Gosper, Williams, Pryor, Noonan, Fordham

DISPOSALS:
St.Kilda: Stewart 29, Griffiths 28, Smith 21
Essendon: Gosper 18, Fraser 17, Birt 16

 

[NarrowMind]

Great to see this initiative reprised GJD23 , as it definitely helped to dull my off season cravings last year.

 

[George]

Great to see this initiative reprised GJD23 , as it definitely help to dull my off season cravings last year.

My pleasure mate!

 

[SFgiant]

The more I look at our current emblem, the more I think it could use a refresh. Very "Microsoft Paint".
Interesting thread, look forward to seeing which games you post

Time for another SFgiant shameless self plug..
https://www.behance.net/gallery/44563137/St-Kilda-Saints-FC-Logo-Redesign

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Time for another SFgiant shameless self plug..
https://www.behance.net/gallery/44563137/St-Kilda-Saints-FC-Logo-Redesign

Ah, I'm glad you came in! I've had your logo as my phone background since you posted, but I forgot who posted!
Your bold re-design is exactly what we need

 

[sunny3193]

50 Years of the Saints - Countdown to NAB 1, 2017. (29 Days to go)​

Preliminary Final, 1966
Date: 17th September, 1966.
Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Crowd: 93,453

After the disappointment of losing the 1965 VFL Grand Final at the hands of Essendon, the Saints stormed out of the blocks in 1966, winning a club record 8 consecutive games to start the season and finishing the year in 2nd place with a record of 14-4 behind ladder leaders Collingwood (15-3).

In a different finals fixture to what we see in today's modern game, there were only four finals played across the finals series. Semi-Finals one and two were played one week after another, followed by the Preliminary final in week three, and culminating in the Grand Final in week four. 1st & 2nd played each other in the 2nd semi final, with the winner advancing to the Grand Final & the loser to the Preliminary final, whilst 3rd & 4th played off in the first semi final with the winner moving onto the Preliminary final and the loser eliminated.

Essendon were too good for Geelong in the 1st semi final, winning by 10 points and moving on to face St.Kilda who lost narrowly to 1st placed Collingwood the week after, also by 10 points.

With Collingwood's victory over St.Kilda it gave the Magpies the week off, and the Saints would have to run the gauntlet to make it to the Grand Final for the second year in a row, in hope of avenging the disappointment of the year before and winning an historic first St.Kilda premiership. They'd first need to get the business done here, however.

We resume play in the fourth quarter of a mud soaked MCG - in front of 93,000 fans.​

​

GOALS:
St.Kilda: Neale 4, Morrow 3, Davis 3, Griffiths, Cooper, Bingley, Read, Payze
Essendon: Mitchell 2, Gosper, Williams, Pryor, Noonan, Fordham

DISPOSALS:
St.Kilda: Stewart 29, Griffiths 28, Smith 21
Essendon: Gosper 18, Fraser 17, Birt 16

I did laugh when the game had to stop as they waited for the ball to be returned after Hughie Mitchell kicked it out of the ground with that Essendon goal.
Apparently VFL budgets didn't stretch to more than a ball a quarter back then.

 

[sauce_head]

Hey guys & girls,

From today up until the start of our pre-season campaign on February 23rd, I've decided I would post videos of memorable St.Kilda games from 1963-2017 in chronological order. I figure it would be something we can use to pass the time and reminisce on some of our greatest moments. May also be a good way to document a bit of the history of the club on our forum.

For those that were around this time last year you may remember me doing the same thread, albeit from 1986-2016. Please note the games that I will be posting over the next 30 days are not the same as the ones posted last year. If you'd like to check out last years thread, you can do so here.

My first installment will be up shortly, with a brief blurb on the game itself followed by the highlight video. This game, along with each individual game thereafter, will be posted in this thread.

If you were at one of the games I've posted or have any fond memories in the lead up/aftermath of the game, feel free to discuss it in this thread. Any questions let me know.

Cheers & Go Saints!!​

I found myself "stuck" at Sydney airport about 48 weeks ago with nothing to do forcaboit 4 hours except drink red wine and to watch the games you posted last year. This was great because I was away from my wife and baby son for only 24 hours but had the (now) rare opportunity to totally immerse myself in historic saints matches. I loved it.

I also watched the new Star Wars on the plane to perth twice but don't really remember it that well....!

So thanks for making that day so great!

 

[George]

I found myself "stuck" at Sydney airport about 48 weeks ago with nothing to do forcaboit 4 hours except drink red wine and to watch the games you posted last year. This was great because I was away from my wife and baby son for only 24 hours but had the (now) rare opportunity to totally immerse myself in historic saints matches. I loved it.

I also watched the new Star Wars on the plane to perth twice but don't really remember it that well....!

So thanks for making that day so great!

Hahaha that's great to hear mate! Thanks for letting me know I made a difference! Ha

 

[George]

50 Years of the Saints - Countdown to NAB 1, 2017. (28 Days to go)​

Grand Final, 1966
Date: 24th September, 1966.
Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Crowd: 102,055

Here we were.​

St.Kilda & Collingwood had made it to the final weekend of the 1966 VFL season and would face off for the 1966 VFL premiership.​

Collingwood had finished the season in impressive form, sitting atop the ladder with a record of 15 wins and 3 losses. Having dismantled St.Kilda back in round 10 by a whopping 72 points, and again in the 2nd semi final by 10 points, the Magpies were the red hot favourites going into today's game. Today would mark Collingwood's 31st Grand Final appearance since the VFL's inception in 1897, and if the Pies were to be victorious, they would hold a league record 14 premierships.

Twenty-three year old Collingwood captain Des Tuddenham was touted by many in the media as the man who could decide the outcome of today's game. Des was in ripping form, having kicked 7 goals against St.Kilda a fortnight ago and surprisingly, St.Kilda coach Allan Jeans had decided to put youngster John Bingley on the Collingwood captain. Bingley had only played 7 VFL games up until this point and was said by many to be out of his depth against the Magpies skipper.

On the other end were the Saints. St.Kilda historically were a very unlucky club. Since the VFL's inception in 1897, the Saints had played in only two Grand Finals. In 1913 they faced Fitzroy who were favourites. St.Kilda ended up winning the Grand Final - however due to league rules in the early 1900's it stated that the favourites for the Grand Final could request a replay, which Fitzroy did and subsequently went on to win. Again in 1965 St.Kilda were defeated this time by Essendon on the back of 7 goals by Bombers forward Ted Fordham.

Securely entrenched in the four for most of the year, the Saints could ultimately have missed out on the finals had they gone down at home to Hawthorn in the last round (Round 18). Normally, a win over the Hawks would almost have been a formality in '66, but the Saints were without their inspirational ruckman Carl Ditterich, who was suspended, while Darrel Baldock had strained his knee ligaments a fortnight earlier against South Melbourne in Round 16 and was rated extremely doubtful. In the end the story had something of a fairy tale resolution as Baldock, named as twentieth man, entered the fray in the third term with the Saints in serious trouble. Baldock kicked a goal almost immediately, and went on to inspire his team mates. When questioned about the gamble he had taken in playing Baldock, Jeans said; "It was either play him today or wait for the night series".

The 10 point victory over Hawthorn in the final round of the season secured the double chance for the Saints and as it transpired this was fortunate, as Collingwood went on to beat the Saints in the semi final. Baldock was still experiencing discomfort with his knee, while Ditterich's suspension meant that he would miss the entire finals series, but St Kilda managed to overcome both these impediments admirably as they overpowered Essendon in the preliminary final by 42 points to earn another crack at the Magpies.

In the week preceding the grand final the media spotlight was firmly on the Saints, and more specifically on Baldock's knee. Unknown to the media, however, was that Baldock actually aggravated his knee injury during the team's final training session prior to the match. Allan Jeans, aware of what had happened, immediately brought the training session to an abrupt and premature halt, but he did so in such a manner as to make it seem predetermined. The press were fooled. Come Grand Final day, however, Baldock was in considerable pain when he lined up at centre half forward. Early on, he took a mark a long way from goal from which he kicked truly, but "It felt like my knee went further than the ball".

Nevertheless, nothing was going to prevent the skipper from making his contribution to the St Kilda cause; moreover, nothing, it seemed, was going to get in the way of St Kilda's quest for that elusive first premiership. There was nothing more than a kick separating the sides, but the initiative seemed to rest with the Saints for most of the game. Victory was finally clinched in the most dramatic of ways. With two minutes plus time on remaining, Collingwood captain Des Tuddenham kicked a behind to level the scores at 73 apiece and set the stage for a frenetic last five minutes during which players frantically flung themselves at the ball with minimal regard for personal safety. Finally, two minutes into time on, St Kilda half forward Barry Breen grabbed the ball after a ball up and sent a bouncing snap shot through for his fifth minor score of the day to secure a lead which the Saints managed to hang on to until the end.

Incredible scenes of jubilation filled the MCG after the final siren, with players embracing legendary St.Kilda former player and current coach Allan Jeans, who took over the reins in 1961 after having played 77 games for the Saints between '55-'59. Jeans took the club to the finals in 1961, 1963, and then to successive grand finals in 1965 and 1966.

St.Kilda had been battle tested, and after years and years of disappointment and heartache, with their backs to the wall against the ominous favourites, the Saints overcame all odds to bring home the 1966 VFL Premiership, the first in the clubs rich 93 year history.

Best for the Saints on 'that one day in '66' were half forward Ian Cooper, midfielders Ian Stewart & Daryl Griffiths, back pocket Brian Sierakowski, and full forward Kevin Neale.

But when St.Kilda captain Darrel Baldock held the VFL premiership cup aloft at the MCG late on the afternoon of September 24, 1966, it represented the culmination of almost a century's worth of effort, dedication, determination and despair. Mostly despair.

It must be said, for if the history of the St Kilda Football Club is illustrative of anything it is the fact that triumphant achievement in sport represents only a part - and as often as not a very small part - of the whole story. St Kilda's dramatic one-point win over Collingwood on that 'one day' in 1966 stands out like a beacon over a predominantly dour and gloomy terrain.

And in the famous words of the late Allan Jeans;



Whatever you do, wherever you go, I'll always remember you for this wonderful moment you gave me today.​

​

GOALS:
St.Kilda: Neale 5, Baldock 2, Cooper, Griffiths, Moran
Collingwood: Tuddenham 3, Gabelich 2, Richardson 2, Graham, Pitt, Wallis

DISPOSALS:
St.Kilda: Stewart 28, Cooper 23, Griffiths 19
Collingwood: Richardson 22, Tuddenham 19, Patterson 18, Waters 18

 

[Nutsngum]

Is that really a photo of baldock with the guernsey's swapped back?

Also am I remembering right or not but wasnt Barry Breen the only one who forgot to swap his guernsey and still has the original?

 

[12Chill]

Is that really a photo of baldock with the guernsey's swapped back?

Also am I remembering right or not but wasnt Barry Breen the only one who forgot to swap his guernsey and still has the original?

That's an edited image to show Doc in Saints colours.

Ian Synman was the only one not to swap his guernsey (#9) immediately.

You can read about it here; http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...6/news-story/e926beb460d076e6096166092e8db196

 

[kosifantutti]

Early morning on Feb 1, foxfooty are showing the 65 and 66 grand final. Look out for Ken Fraser getting the cup in a Saints jumper.

 

[Brains Trust66]

Hey guys & girls,

From today up until the start of our pre-season campaign on February 23rd, I've decided I would post videos of memorable St.Kilda games from 1963-2017 in chronological order. I figure it would be something we can use to pass the time and reminisce on some of our greatest moments. May also be a good way to document a bit of the history of the club on our forum.

For those that were around this time last year you may remember me doing the same thread, albeit from 1986-2016. Please note the games that I will be posting over the next 30 days are not the same as the ones posted last year. If you'd like to check out last years thread, you can do so here.

My first installment will be up shortly, with a brief blurb on the game itself followed by the highlight video. This game, along with each individual game thereafter, will be posted in this thread.

If you were at one of the games I've posted or have any fond memories in the lead up/aftermath of the game, feel free to discuss it in this thread. Any questions let me know.

Cheers & Go Saints!!​

Fantastic, thanks mate. Look forward to watching them all


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Brains Trust66]

I did laugh when the game had to stop as they waited for the ball to be returned after Hughie Mitchell kicked it out of the ground with that Essendon goal.
Apparently VFL budgets didn't stretch to more than a ball a quarter back then.

Good to see we had local showers back then too.


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Brains Trust66]

Commentators Tony Charlton and Ian Clelland?
The black of the shorts doesn't always match the black of the jumper.
If Sam Gilbert were playing he would be lauded as one of the great kicks of the game.

Image if that Geelong fullback that used to do torps to the centre before he went to play gridiron in America played back then and kicked the ball like he could. There would be a medal named after him and the commentary would whisper his name like a god . I can't remember his name , it's on the tip of my tongue . Actually if any of the modern players went back in time and kicked like they do now it would have been a shock. Although I wonder if the footballs have improved as well as the boots to make a big difference . It sure is funny to see the whole ground as a mud patch and nobody thinks it's unusual.


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Brains Trust66]

That's an edited image to show Doc in Saints colours.

Ian Synman was the only one not to swap his guernsey (#9) immediately.

You can read about it here; http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...6/news-story/e926beb460d076e6096166092e8db196

Thanks for the effort but doing links to the herald sun is no good unless you are a subscriber.


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app