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

[joop]

Started this thread hoping it would be a good read. Has EASILY exceeded expectations. Some great little stories in here about your passion/memories for the club.
It's no secret we're one of the battlers, but we all bloody love it.
Wouldn't mind someone from the club seeing the last few pages.
Awesome stuff lads & ladettes. X

 

[joop]

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

Armitage2Riewoldt Kildonan

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Armitage2Riewoldt Kildonan

We can certainly give it a shot! Probably about time I put my 2c in here as well.

I'm 24, male and grew up in Mentone like several other BF Sainters by the looks of it! I'm currently studying Surveying at RMIT and enjoy beers on the beach at sunset when I'm not on here

My story is nowhere near as exciting as some on here, I grew up in a family that cared little for footy and followed the Demons somewhat early on (5-6 years old) due to my nan being a lifelong supporter. However one of the first friends I made in primary school was a massive Saints fan and over the next couple years I went to several Saints games and even picked the sport up myself - not that I was ever any good at it. I was quickly converted to the Saints although I didn't get hugely into the footy until around 2003-4. Since then it's been one hell of a ride!

Been a member since 2007 when I finally got my dad to sign up with me and found this forum shortly after. Have made it to most home games and finals in the last few years however two of the games (08 Semi v Collingwood and 10 prelim v Doggies) fell on my birthday/party and I couldn't make it. Going by the results of those nights I need to schedule more birthdays around that time!

Favourite players have to be Milney, Lenny and of course my name sake Armo. Love their passion for the jumper. Don't know where my next favourite is coming from because I love them all...Hard to go past Brucey's man bun right now

 

[By a Point]

Live in Hobart and I am 60. I remember sitting on the wood heap listening to the trans woman in September 1966. One defining moment in my life.
I have loved the Saints since being pointed to them by a painter in about 1963. I love every moment and always feel good about something. I don't have expectations, only pleasures. I really enjoy the young players and rate them all, but really like Jack Lonie. Josh Bruce will be All Australian, as will several other youngsters.

this is funny. I wrote that I sat on the wood heap listening to the tr*nny, which for the young of today was a transistor radio. I reviewed it recently and saw that tr*nny had been translated to 'trans woman'. Lord help us.

 

[SaintLex]

We can certainly give it a shot! Probably about time I put my 2c in here as well.

I'm 24, male and grew up in Mentone like several other BF Sainters by the looks of it! I'm currently studying Surveying at RMIT and enjoy beers on the beach at sunset when I'm not on here

My story is nowhere near as exciting as some on here, I grew up in a family that cared little for footy and followed the Demons somewhat early on (5-6 years old) due to my nan being a lifelong supporter. However one of the first friends I made in primary school was a massive Saints fan and over the next couple years I went to several Saints games and even picked the sport up myself - not that I was ever any good at it. I was quickly converted to the Saints although I didn't get hugely into the footy until around 2003-4. Since then it's been one hell of a ride!

Been a member since 2007 when I finally got my dad to sign up with me and found this forum shortly after. Have made it to most home games and finals in the last few years however two of the games (08 Semi v Collingwood and 10 prelim v Doggies) fell on my birthday/party and I couldn't make it. Going by the results of those nights I need to schedule more birthdays around that time!

Favourite players have to be Milney, Lenny and of course my name sake Armo. Love their passion for the jumper. Don't know where my next favourite is coming from because I love them all...Hard to go past Brucey's man bun right now

Extremely poor form choosing your birthday over the Sainters... and they made this guy a mod

 

[RobbieMuir]

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!

My dad told me that he used to go to all the Junction oval games with his dad and hid grand dad and, win or lose, after the game they would do a pub crawl, stopping at each pub in the area and having one beer at each one before walking home half cut to East St Kilda. So I'm sure they would have stopped in at your grandparents pub on a regular basis late on a Saturday arvo.

 

[borderbarry]

I was born in Northcote. My Dad was born in Neptune St St.Kilda. He was a member of the St.Kilda Cricket Club, which entitled us to go to all the cricket and footy games at the Junction oval. I started going to Saints matches in a pram, Mum, although originally from NSW, was a dedicated Saints supporter too. We used to sit in the same spot every week. next to the Saints race. The only hot food at the footy then was hot dogs. When I was at secondary school the Saints (Seagulls then) were so poor that if we won a game it seemed like a premiership. That was the early 50's.
My wife was a bulldogs supporter, but I converted her. All four of my kids, and all nine of my grandkids are Saints.
I think team of 2009 and 2010 was nearly, as good as the 1965 and 66 team.
The present time is exciting. reminds me of the period under Killagrew, when we started to turn things around.

 

[Ephesus]

My dad is a Saints supporter, so are most of my family. I've seen a few losing grand finals - 1971, 1997, 2009 and 2010.
I have seen some great highlights - Lockett kicking 15 against the Swans, Milney kicking 11, and was at the match at Waverley when the lights went out against Essendon. Seen some hidings too - the game against Collingwood where they kicked the then record winning margin - and that game against the Bulldogs when Max cried after the close loss. I have been lucky to see all of the great Saints players of the modern era. I have seen matches at all the old suburban grounds, but miss Moorabin the most. I feel good about the team at the moment. Go Saints!

 

[saintscott]

I am scott. 37 years old and mad keen saints supporter all my life. work in finance. my dad and half his brothers are saints fans, the other half are richmond. my step dad is hawthorn as his brother played about 50 games there in the 70s til he did his knee but he was saints beforehand. never though twice about swapping clubs as a kid when we were bottom. massive fan of loyalty. been hard to see guys like ball, goddard and dal go in recent years. understand the reasons for the last two but would have loved to see them finish up one club players.

have been lucky enough to attend all of our recent grand finals. have had the week booked off afterwards for celebrations but unfortunately they haven't gone to plan. not ashamed to say tears were shed!

have to watch every saints game week in week out without exception. no overly passionate about many things but get so much enjoyment out of watching us play.

harves is my all time favourite player. have a signed jumper that is my prized possession. really enjoying the rebuild at the moment and seeing the kids come along. actually more enjoyable to watch than when we started to decline and ross was having us play a boring brand of footy. can't wait til we are at the pointy end again!

 

[butterjugs]

Long time lurker (for years ), first time poster.

Mornington Peninsula girl, now living in California. Waiting for the Saints to make the finals so I have another excuse to visit home. Stay up late and stream the games from watchafl.com.au each weekend. Really like what I'm seeing from the boys this year.

I'm a third generation Saints fan and really got into it during the Max Hudghton, Aussie Jones, Robert Harvey, Nathan Burke era. I miss those days.

Trying to get the Americans into AFL but they mostly think "footy" = soccer. Can't be bothered to get into it with them. There's a local team in Santa Monica that I'm keen to check out (not like that) one weekend.

Glad to meet you all and read your stories.

 

[DraftGuru_]

Finally decided to join Bigfooty today, after many months of just looking at the forums.

Whole family are Saints tragics and I'm no exception. I live and breathe AFL. I follow the draft very closely as well. I am 25, and am a high school sports teacher. I coach an under 15s football team and play seniors footy. I love where the club is going. Can't wait till we're challenging in a few years. Going to be an exciting time. My favourite player I've ever seen is Nick Riewoldt. His courage and heart is huge!

Hope I can get involved in some discussions and meet more of you!

 

[CHBench]

Good to have more female representation to break up this boys club butterjugs

I think that makes 5 of us!

 

[sammm]

not many females on here as yet introducing themselves.

 

[the10secondping]

Been reading the boards for a while, just signed up so might aswell start from here

29, male from europe. Got involved with aussie rules 6-7 years ago and started playing with my local team.
Ended up representing my country in AFL International Cup last August. While in Melbourne i got plenty of weird looks for saying i didn't have an AFL team to support, so i somewhat randomly picked The Saints. Did like the guernsey and the colours though! Plus the fact that i could cheer for the current underdogs.

Since the winter and the nab cup been waking up every weekend at way too many hours early to watch the Saints play. Still have a hell of a lot to learn about the club, the news, the league, and everything around it but i do enjoy watching the sport and keep on learning. I did manage my first "wake up the house"-moments, when Montagna kicked in the winning goal against the Dees, and when Schneider missed a sitter a few rounds before that...
Favorite players are all from this season: Armitage, Riewoldt, Bruce, Billings, and Lonie.

looking forward to playing footy back home for many years to come, and also the next IC Cup in two years. Hopefully that will be a better year for the Saints too

Also, english isn't my mother language but i think i'll manage fine. You Aussies do have plenty of writing to do for your own english dictionary. Just add an AFL phrasebook in it

 

[sverik25]

Been reading the boards for a while, just signed up so might aswell start from here

29, male from europe. Got involved with aussie rules 6-7 years ago and started playing with my local team.
Ended up representing my country in AFL International Cup last August. While in Melbourne i got plenty of weird looks for saying i didn't have an AFL team to support, so i somewhat randomly picked The Saints. Did like the guernsey and the colours though! Plus the fact that i could cheer for the current underdogs.

Since the winter and the nab cup been waking up every weekend at way too many hours early to watch the Saints play. Still have a hell of a lot to learn about the club, the news, the league, and everything around it but i do enjoy watching the sport and keep on learning. I did manage my first "wake up the house"-moments, when Montagna kicked in the winning goal against the Dees, and when Schneider missed a sitter a few rounds before that...
Favorite players are all from this season: Armitage, Riewoldt, Bruce, Billings, and Lonie.

looking forward to playing footy back home for many years to come, and also the next IC Cup in two years. Hopefully that will be a better year for the Saints too

Also, english isn't my mother language but i think i'll manage fine. You Aussies do have plenty of writing to do for your own english dictionary. Just add an AFL phrasebook in it

Great to hear! I've followed international Aussie Rules for a few years now and managed to get to a couple of games of the International Cup last year. Was certainly a good experience! I hope you don't mind me asking which country you played for?

As for your choice of the Saints, well, supporting us won't be easy, but we have a brighter future ahead, and as I say, it's easy to support teams like Collingwood and Hawthorn, but supporting St Kilda is character building!

 

[psychosaints]

My dad is a Saints supporter, so are most of my family. I've seen a few losing grand finals - 1971, 1997, 2009 and 2010.
I have seen some great highlights - Lockett kicking 15 against the Swans, Milney kicking 11, and was at the match at Waverley when the lights went out against Essendon. Seen some hidings too - the game against Collingwood where they kicked the then record winning margin - and that game against the Bulldogs when Max cried after the close loss. I have been lucky to see all of the great Saints players of the modern era. I have seen matches at all the old suburban grounds, but miss Moorabin the most. I feel good about the team at the moment. Go Saints!

Every game you mention there, I was at, except the 71 GF as I wasn't born yet.

 

[the10secondping]

Great to hear! I've followed international Aussie Rules for a few years now and managed to get to a couple of games of the International Cup last year. Was certainly a good experience! I hope you don't mind me asking which country you played for?

Oh not at all, i played for Finland. It was indeed a great experience, even if we didn't exactly shine in the tournament.

 

[Keg on legs]

Been away from this site for a while (SuperCoach has taken over my meagre existence for a while)
But back and saw this thread.
Great idea, so allow me to throw my two bob's worth in.

44, grew up in the mallee but moved to Melbourne at for work at 22, been here ever since. Come from a family of saints, except for one brother who we don't talk about - he barracks for Collingwood!

I've been very fortunate to have watched plugger, leowe, Burke etc.. But nobody beats banger

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Born and raised in Moorabbin.

Went to the odd game at Linton Street in the late 60s/early 70s however wasn’t from a football supporting family so they were few and far between.

All that changed when at the start of 1973 my brother and I were given Junior Memberships by jockey Alan Trevena, a Saints supporter who lived close to the ground and who had become a family friend. Have taken out a Membership every year since.

Used to call in to the ground on the way home from Moorabbin Tech on Tuesday and Thursday nights, when training was held on those nights and you could have a kick out on the oval as the players came out and ran their warm up laps.

Saw all the modern greats debut. Saw a very young Plugger play an intra-club at Moorabbin in 1983 where he kicked 4 on Grant Thomas. Saw the first games of Harvey, Loewe, Burkey, Rooey.

Hardly missed a game when they were all in Melbourne. Social Club Member from the moment my younger brother attained the legal drinking age, though let it lapse in favour of AFL Membership once we moved from Linton Street and I could no longer use my legs as a form of (sometimes wobbly) transport.

Had some fun interstate. Remember travelling to Sydney to watch the Saints get absolutely thumped by Richmond before the Swans made the SCG their home. Regularly travelled to Sydney in the 80s and 90s but not so much since. Saw Plugger kick his 100th at Adelaide in 1990; also saw Devonport star early and then the Saints get smashed by Troy Ugle at the WACA in the same year. Saw the debut of Lenny in 1999 where he got poleaxed by Archer at the SCG.

Been to all the Grand Finals in 1997, 2009 & 2010. Have felt the hurts and the disappointments.

Have lived in Moorabbin, Camberwell, Sandringham, Footscray, Williamstown, Kensington and Northcote and used various forms of transport to get to the grounds. Relocated to Geelong in 2009 so now it’s V/Line all the way.

Will be making my way up again this Sunday. Because aside those few devastating Grand Final occasions I’ve had, and continue to have, a blast.

Gee I love this club

 

[Keg on legs]

Born and raised in Moorabbin.

Went to the odd game at Linton Street in the late 60s/early 70s however wasn’t from a football supporting family so they were few and far between.

All that changed when at the start of 1973 my brother and I were given Junior Memberships by jockey Alan Trevena, a Saints supporter who lived close to the ground and who had become a family friend. Have taken out a Membership every year since.

Used to call in to the ground on the way home from Moorabbin Tech on Tuesday and Thursday nights, when training was held on those nights and you could have a kick out on the oval as the players came out and ran their warm up laps.

Saw all the modern greats debut. Saw a very young Plugger play an intra-club at Moorabbin in 1983 where he kicked 4 on Grant Thomas. Saw the first games of Harvey, Loewe, Burkey, Rooey.

Hardly missed a game when they were all in Melbourne. Social Club Member from the moment my younger brother attained the legal drinking age, though let it lapse in favour of AFL Membership once we moved from Linton Street and I could no longer use my legs as a form of (sometimes wobbly) transport.

Had some fun interstate. Remember travelling to Sydney to watch the Saints get absolutely thumped by Richmond before the Swans made the SCG their home. Regularly travelled to Sydney in the 80s and 90s but not so much since. Saw Plugger kick his 100th at Adelaide in 1990; also saw Devonport star early and then the Saints get smashed by Troy Ugle at the WACA in the same year. Saw the debut of Lenny in 1999 where he got poleaxed by Archer at the SCG.

Been to all the Grand Finals in 1997, 2009 & 2010. Have felt the hurts and the disappointments.

Have lived in Moorabbin, Camberwell, Sandringham, Footscray, Williamstown, Kensington and Northcote and used various forms of transport to get to the grounds. Relocated to Geelong in 2009 so now it’s V/Line all the way.

Will be making my way up again this Sunday. Because aside those few devastating Grand Final occasions I’ve had, and continue to have, a blast.

Gee I love this club

I live in Geelong now too. It's not an easy town to live in when the cats are travelling well!

 

[Dr Spaceman]

I live in Geelong now too. It's not an easy town to live in when the cats are travelling well!

Certainly not when your first few months in the place culminate in the 2009 Grand Final!

 

[pebblesofsand]

Now 63 that makes 57 years a supporter

Retired at 54 to Kangaroo Island. GFC sent me back to work - now in the far east of Victoria, about to retire again in 10 days time.

Mad keen surfer stand up paddle boarder.

Missed the last minutes of the 66 grand final win because I couldn't watch it - it was too nerve racking for a 14 year old.

Favourite memories - A Saints badge that came from one of the Spumante bottles that graced the premiership celebration tables. (Ribbons have disintegrated with age) Moorabbin mud, Plugger, Joffa, bbq's under score board and Nicky Winmar taking the best mark I've ever ever seen. Typical saints game - no TV

 

[soups1982]

Some really great insights as to the backgrounds and stories of others who support this great club..

I am 32 and grew up in the Bayside suburb of Gardenvale. St Kilda were the closest team to where I grew up, and given that neither one of my parents followed footy (Dad was born in Scotland, Mum in Adelaide) I'm guessing location played a key part in why I started supporting the Saints. Other factors may have been Lockett, Loewe and Harvey. My first ever game was St Kilda vs. Fitzroy at Princes Park, sometime in the late 80s and obviously from there I was hooked.

Much of my weekends as a child was spent kicking the footy and Waverley Park was the ground I grew up going to. I look back fondly on driving back home down North Road with the scarf waving madly out the window after a Saints win.

As I have grown older, I have learnt to appreciate more what it means to truly love and follow an underdog club, and I honestly believe that sustained success brings more harm to a club than it does good. Having said that, one of the genuine items on my bucket list is to see a Saints premiership before I die, and my only concern is that this is one item on my list that I have zero control over.

Fans who support carlton, collingwood, hawthorn et el. genuinely have little idea what dedication and loyalty means. It's an easy decision to follow a club because of their successes and sustained success brings more support, however I wonder what would happen if these clubs had sustained periods of mediocrity, afterall Hawthorn nearly merged in 1997 and they won a flag only six years prior.

I have a total of four mates who support St Kilda and I also value the closeness and St Kilda bond we share, because we all 'get it'. The fact that Saints fans can be hard to find also makes them more valuable.

During the 90's my favourite players were Lockett, Loewe, Jones, Sziller and Everitt.
During the 00's my favourite players were Harvey, Heatley, and Rooey
Now my favourites are Steven, Armitage and I'm super excited to see what becomes of Billings and McCartin.

Given how terrible things were off the field during the periods of success in the 00's, I am so proud of the way we have managed to build things up at the moment under Finnis and Richardson and co.

The club is truly something we can be proud of, and not simply because of blind loyalty, but because they have earnt it.

 

[AuntieBarrels]

Haven't seen this thread until now... I may as well introduce myself.

I'm a young, asian (Korean) bloke residing in the western suburbs of Melbourne. My family has been living here for the past 27 years and my eldest brother was a huge North Melbourne supporter (jumped on the bandwagon, and loved Peter Bell), and I was pretty much born into a Roos supporting family (disgusting I know). My brother took me to my first ever game when I was 7 years old and it was the Saints vs NM, and all I remember was Kozi, Roo, and the G-Train tearing it up, and we ended up thrashing them. From then on, I am a Saints supporter through and through. Have never regretted my decision. Definitely proud to be a Sainter.

2009 and 2010 were honestly the most depressing years for me. Coming so close to getting that 2nd flag, but just falling short. It hurt like a bitch. It hurt because you saw your favourite players and champions of the game putting their bodies on the line, risking their well-being to get to the ultimate goal. And after the loss, you saw them in tears, in distress, you just never wanted to see these champions go through that. But the memories that they gifted us during those matches, such as Lenny bombing it straight through the middle from outside the arc, and BJ Goddard jumping up for that specky, is special.

The club is in good hands, and I am very excited for the future.

 

[Fred]

I'm a 3rd generation saint in a line that goes back to about 1900. My contribution has been to produce the 4th and 5th generations and possibly the 6th.