Competitions Greatest St.Kilda player of all-time [FINAL]

[Drake Huggins]

Lockett, Plugger, then Lockett . Daylight next. GOAT.

 

[BigPowerForward]

Lockett, Plugger, then Lockett . Daylight next. GOAT.

I loved Lockett and the G Train. Both intimidating sons of b1tches.
Lockett was the better player but the G Train had a better swagger

 

[Brains Trust66]

No one said Baldock? Riewoldt? Very hard to pick. Who won by the way?


Go Saints

 

[George]

No one said Baldock? Riewoldt? Very hard to pick. Who won by the way?


Go Saints

This was the tournament results;

Lockett beat Harvey 51-45 in the final as you can see by the poll attached to this thread.

 

[jwikked]

No question, gotta go with Harves. He was mythical when I was a kid. The number 35 was a magical number and I could never understand why people thought 13 was the number to watch out for.

I do remember Anthony Lockett. He left us. Also it was weird when they started showing him as "Tony" Lockett for some reason...
Harves stuck with the Saints.

Lockett was the better player, but Harves is the better Saints player.

 

[The Jack]

No player has ever been more dynamic for his club than Lockett was with St Kilda IMO. Only played 82 games in his last 6 years as a Saint and kicked over 500 goals in that time. In 91&92 alone he kicked 259 goals in 39 games.

Wrecking ball, freak, GOAT. We'll never see anything like him ever again.

 

[Brains Trust66]

I don't think you can compare two players who are so different.
In my view Harvey was just a freak. The things he used to do even though every team tried to tag him all game with their best defensive players or best mids but Harvey would still get his 30 touches or more and tear teams to bits. I can't see another player coming around like him for a long time.

Lockett was just simply too strong and smart for his opponents. It also helped that he was one of the best kicks for goal you will ever see. The amount of free kicks that he didn't receive compared to modern forwards was amazing. He used to have guys like SOS jumping all over him,holding his arms, around the neck etc while a third man would try to spoil the mark. And Lockett still out marked them both. Younger people today would be shocked at the treatment he used to get from opposition players and umpires but he still kicked a heap of goals every week. I remember one day at Moorabbin when Anthony Daniher played on Lockett, plus a spare player stood 20 metres in front of them to block Locketts leads. Daniher was awarded best on ground even though Lockett still kicked 4 goals.
Lockett and Harvey were just too good and I'm so happy that I got to watch them play through out their careers.
But I can't rate one over the other.


Go Saints

 

[Ricmel]

Harvs was a great player but Lockett clearly ahead for me. In fact I rate him the best to ever play the game.

It is probably due to the age of most of the posters here but I would think those that saw Ian Stewart play would also have him clearly ahead of Harvs. Had all of Harvs ball skills and evasive skills but was much stronger overhead. Had Stewart been born in this age and benefited from modern coaching I think he would be right up in the top 4 or 5 ever to play the game. Did not have a single weakness.

 

[plugger66]

Its plugger then the rest. I feel for those who never saw him play. We weren't much good when he started but he got people to the game. As good as Harvs is I doubt people went to games to watch another mid. Leaving the club doesn't make you worse. Plugger is the best.

 

[triggering bro]

No Acres option disappoints me

 

[The Filth]

Ian Stewart by a country mile.
Amazing skills - both feet. Played in an era pre interchange - on ground for the whole game in the centre.
Without Stewart the Saints wouldn't even have their one and only Premiership.
- B&F in your premiership year.
- Won one of his 3 Brownlows in your Premiership year.
- All Australian in your premiership year.
- Best on ground and leading possession getter in the 1966 GF (pre Norm Smith)

Premiership player at the Saints and Richmond.
(Injured his leg in the 1973 GF win for Richmond - no interchange in those days - played half the game in the forward pocket on one leg - kicked 3 goals - one of the best players on the ground)
2xB&F for the Saints, 1XB&F Richmond.
2XBrowlows at the Saints - 1965 & 1966
1XBrownlow at Richmond - 1971
Hall of Fame Saints and Tigers. Legend status Saints Hall of Fame.
Richmond Team of the Century
Saints Team of the Century
AFL Hall of Fame, AFL Legend Status.
Sport Australia Hall of Fame
Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame
Australian Sports Medal (2000)

Team of the century at two clubs,
Brownlow medallist at 2 clubs,
Premiership at 2 clubs,
B&F in a premiership year at 2 clubs,
One of the best players in the winning GF at 2 clubs....

 

[Sainteric]

I loved Lockett and the G Train. Both intimidating sons of b1tches.
Lockett was the better player but the G Train had a better swagger

G train played in a much better team. I saw Lockett kick 10 goals and iirc 7 or 8 points, on silvagni at Moorrabbin in 1989, if Lockett had of played most of his career for Hawthorn/Carlton/Essendon he would have kicked 2000 goals, double anyone else in bradman territory.

 

[BigPowerForward]

G train played in a much better team. I saw Lockett kick 10 goals and iirc 7 or 8 points, on silvagni at Moorrabbin in 1989, if Lockett had of played most of his career for Hawthorn/Carlton/Essendon he would have kicked 2000 goals, double anyone else in bradman territory.

100% agree
If Lockett had played in a top team the number of 10 goal hauls would have been mind-blowing
He almost had a rock star status. I can remember games at Moorabbin where sections of the crowd would change ends at the breaks just to follow him.
I was at the game in 92 when he kicked 15 goals against Sydney. IIRC he was on 10 goals at half time and I had to leave to go to a Wedding. I have never procrastinated more over a decision in my life. I ended up going to the wedding but sat at the back of the church with my radio and earplug, listening to see if he would break Fanning's record. I am kind of relieved that he didn't break the record because I would still be filthy about it today.

 

[mightymalaka]

Special acknowledgement has to be given to Doc Baldock and Ian Stewart!
Both out and out champions during our one time Glory!
Just before my time, but heard numerous stories about the Doc
From my ex father in law who played with and against him for many
Years in Tassie and the way he spoke of Baldock especially was
God like territory! He wouldn't hear of Anyone that ever played the
Game that could live with him!

Had the honour of having dinner with the Doc present during
His coaching stint at the Saints as they were very close mates
And a nicer more humble man, you would never meet!

Some of his observations and thoughts of the Saints when he first
Came back to Coach us were most revealing and disturbing!
Certainly opened my eyes to what a successful operation looked like
And it most certainly was Not the Saints in the 80's!

 

[SA1NTER]

Plugger.

 

[sunny3193]

Harvs was a great player but Lockett clearly ahead for me. In fact I rate him the best to ever play the game.

It is probably due to the age of most of the posters here but I would think those that saw Ian Stewart play would also have him clearly ahead of Harvs. Had all of Harvs ball skills and evasive skills but was much stronger overhead. Had Stewart been born in this age and benefited from modern coaching I think he would be right up in the top 4 or 5 ever to play the game. Did not have a single weakness.

If you recall, Stewart had the habit of sticking his tongue out when concentrating - particularly when marking.
I often wondered, as you do when you’re a boy carrying #5 on your back, what would have happened if his opponent had given him a clip under the jaw.
Stewie would have been finished for the day I reckon.

Given the times, I’m still amazed it never happened.

 

[Grav]

It’s such a shame the late great Trevor Barker came up against Nick Riewoldt.
Was he the greatest player we’ve ever seen? Probably not, but for one he carried hopes of the the St Kilda army on his shoulders throughout his career.
He not only gave supporters someone to cheer for and hang their hopes on, he also bled Red,Black & White.
Poached by other more succesful clubs, who offered good coin for him to play, he refused to leave the mighty Saints & at times played for nothing.
So he may not be the greatest footballer in the forums eyes, but by golly, by gosh, by jingo, he would have had to be the greatest clubman we have ever had.
In my eyes, a true champion.
#trevorbarker#1

 

[Brains Trust66]

I agree about all the great players mentioned here. I never saw Stewart or Baldock play apart from small bits on TV. If I remember correctly Baldock actually played injured in the 1966 grand final which is why he didn't star. He was basically a midfielder but often was played at centre half forward which just shows how good he was. Stewart was a great player as well as The Filth put up his amazing career stats.

I watched a lot of Barker when I was young. He played when we had possibly our worse ever side. He wasn't a big guy but had an incredible leap and his timing was suburb. I do wonder just how good he could have been in a better side because for us, even though he was lightly built and not very tall, he was usually playing a key position like full back or full forward. Every season other clubs offered him everything including the kitchen sink but he knocked back every offer and stayed at the Saints as Grav mentioned. When he retired he was owed lots of player payments by the Saints but agreed to write it all off. He was getting experience as a coach at Sandy and doing well when he got cancer and all to quick he was gone. I have no doubt he would have coached the Saints very soon if he hadn't have got sick. Players who played under him at Sandy said he had an incredible footy brain and was loved by all the players there. Surely he would rank as our greatest ever clubman.

But overall, as the best player, I really can't go past Plugger. There will never be anyone as good as him ever again. He was just a freak. He was too big and strong. He could outmark all the best players like SOS. He could lead faster than anyone else. And he was the best kick for goal I've ever seen. The amount of times he would have a set shot from the boundary maybe 40 - 50 metres out and still split the middle was amazing. He very rarely tried a boomerang when he was on the wrong side for a right footer but instead backed himself to kick a drop punt and he still kicked a goal.
I saw him one day at the MCG against Melbourne when he single handedly kept us in the game, and although we eventually lost he kicked 12 goals straight out of 14.

Baldock, when he coached the Saints, said that Lockett was wasted at full forward and said he could become one of the games greatest centre half forwards. But then Baldock had a stroke and our coaches from then on just left him at full forward.

Lockett would have to have been one of the games best ever players and probably our best ever player.


Go Saints

 

[George]

It’s such a shame the late great Trevor Barker came up against Nick Riewoldt.
Was he the greatest player we’ve ever seen? Probably not, but for one he carried hopes of the the St Kilda army on his shoulders throughout his career.
He not only gave supporters someone to cheer for and hang their hopes on, he also bled Red,Black & White.
Poached by other more succesful clubs, who offered good coin for him to play, he refused to leave the mighty Saints & at times played for nothing.
So he may not be the greatest footballer in the forums eyes, but by golly, by gosh, by jingo, he would have had to be the greatest clubman we have ever had.
In my eyes, a true champion.
#trevorbarker#1

Strength Through Loyalty.

 

[Ricmel]

It’s such a shame the late great Trevor Barker came up against Nick Riewoldt.
Was he the greatest player we’ve ever seen? Probably not, but for one he carried hopes of the the St Kilda army on his shoulders throughout his career.
He not only gave supporters someone to cheer for and hang their hopes on, he also bled Red,Black & White.
Poached by other more succesful clubs, who offered good coin for him to play, he refused to leave the mighty Saints & at times played for nothing.
So he may not be the greatest footballer in the forums eyes, but by golly, by gosh, by jingo, he would have had to be the greatest clubman we have ever had.
In my eyes, a true champion.
#trevorbarker#1

Also one of the bravest footballers ever to play. I rated him in the same league as Ken Hunter. Great bloke to top it off. One of our all time best and may well be the reason that there is a St Kilda today.

 

[Ricmel]

No Acres option disappoints me

According to some in here, should be in the conversation by end of this year (or next), (or next).