Saintly Parenting

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Great stories everyone!

First generation Australian here. Kosi and the G-Train were my reasons for getting on board. Didn't really understand much about the club, probably didn't get too into footy till about 07-08. But jeez I'm glad I go for this wonderful club. There's just something about the club, I don't know if its the long history (battling for results), but it's just a more rewarding team to support. Most of my other mates who are similarly first gen, go for the Bombers, the Blues or the Filth, but there is just something about this amazing club. I know I'm not as well exposed to the hard times being a Saints supporter, but I've always copped abuse about the 1 premiership, why waste time going for a club with 27 wooden spoons, so on. There's just something about going for the underdog, and yeah, we have a ways to go over the next few years, and I've only really experienced success with St Kilda, but here's to many a good year, and I hope we win a premiership before the decade is out!

Don't worry folks, my future kids will be heavily indoctrinated into the Saints family.
 
Saintly parenting is a good name for it Perse :thumbsu: cos its all about family as far as im concerned.
When i was a little tacker in the early 70s we moved to Melb from country Vic. My family didnt follow an AFL ( VFL then) team at all back then .
After the move i probably shouldve followed Footscray or Collingwood if i was going by geography or family friends reasoning.
But at the same time we moved a relative played a couple of games in the Saints under 19s so my family jumped on the Saints.
It was more a case of timing than anything else.
If he didnt play those few games it definately wouldve been Dogs or Pies for me.
I guess the Dogs wouldve left me feeling the same as i do now. Proud but unfulfilled :p
And although i wouldve seen 2 Flags as a Pies supporter , i dont regret a god damn thing.
We all bang on about a Premiership . And although i will admit it would be F-ING FANTASTIC!!!!! to see our boys win one. It isnt the be all to end all.
A lot of you will disagree with me on that. But if footy was ONLY about winning flags there wouldnt be any StKilda supporters left. There wouldnt be any Bulldog supporters left . And after that 72 yr drought there wouldnt have been a Swans supporter in Australia left to celebrate the 2005 premiership.
Sure the Saints have been frustrating as all f*** over the yrs. But ive still had the joy of plenty of good seasons and wonderful players to watch.
The bigger picture to me though has been all the times i have spent at the footy with family and friends watching a team we all love.
Ive been to hundreds and hundreds of games with my family. From me being a little boy myself, to me taking my children as a grown man.
All of us meeting up at games over the yrs. The long train ride to moorabbin and getting in trouble for waving my Saints flag out the Train window. The long drives to Waverley with my brother excitingly talking up our chances even though deep down we knew we would get smashed. To meeting friends at Young & Jacksons for drinks before jumping on the tram for the G. And now having reserved seats with my own family at Etihad.
Over the years, so many highs and lows.
Thats the sort of feeling/bond that just cant be manufactured. The Suns & GWS wont know this type of joy for yrs & yrs.
If you are a full on nut job of a supporter :p Eventually the club becomes another family member.
At times its can be a fully supportive loving family member. At other times it can be a pain in the arse family member. But its still family. So you stick by it through thick n thin.
That might sound a bit sickly sweet or corny to some. But im glad & proud that i ended up a Saints man.
 
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Also found out as a bonus later that Justin Koschitzke was (supposedly) tied into our family. Was visiting my great grandmother at the retirement home one day (she was around 90 or 91 at the time with Alzheimers) and we were watching a Saints game on the TV with my dad while we were in the room talking to her, and my dad asked who took the mark and I said it was Koschitzke (and this wasn't said very loud, usually we had to yell loud for my great grandmother to hear us). As soon as I said it my great grandmother's eyes widened and she started rambling for 20 minutes about how we're related to Justin Koschitzke and how it was her cousin who got married to a Murray (not sure how it's spelled) Koschitzke (who I guess if it was to be true, would be Justin's father or grandad). Have never heard her talk about one topic so much in her life, except of course the subject of her being a great hockey player back in the 30s and how she once scored her teams only goal in their season :p :D

Who knows if Justin is actually tied into our family or not, I don't think I want to know, I'll just continue to say that he is. :D

Saintly great grandparenting?
 

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My second grandson is expected end of January 2015. They have chosen the name Maverick.

Karen and I engaged the woman who did the photography for our wedding to custom design a St Kilda nappy (reusable nappy with disposable liners)

Nappy.jpg


Bibs'n'Buns is her business name (she's on facebook)
We commissioned the design of this - its not one of her usual designs so I don't know about availability
I am super-impressed though.
 
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Kildonan said:
My second grandson is expected end of January 2015. They have chosen the name Maverick.

Karen and I engaged the woman who did the photography for our wedding to custom design a St Kilda nappy (reusable nappy with disposable liners)

0


Bibs'n'Buns is her business name (she's on facebook)
We commissioned the design of this - its not one of her usual designs so I don't know about availability
I am super-impressed though.
Click to expand...
Top-gun-tom-cruise.jpg
 
Well, this has been quiet but hey, there hasn't been much to report on in this area for me in the last nearly 7 years since my first child was born.

But maybe, just maybe, we've turned the corner!

Being father of a nearly 7 year old and 4 year old (both girls), and living in Sydney, there hasn't been a great deal of exposure to footy in general, let alone AFL. Sure the girls know that come somewhere around Easter time and for the next few months the TV no longer becomes their possession alone come Saturday or Sunday afternoons, but that's about it.

My siblings live in Melbourne (also my home town) and the last couple of years we have traveled to Melbourne for a Xmas in July type thing. My youngest (4 years old) has taken a particular liking to my 16 year old nephew. Unfortunately he's a Hawks supporter. I know, I dislike him immensely also (or is that jealousy? Whatevs). He plays footy and my daughter went to one of his games, and joined him in the change rooms. I think they were celebrating getting beaten by less than 15 goals or something.

Anyway, watching the Hawks / Saints game a few weeks ago, 4 year old was asking which was my team. Having explained that, I also told her that the other team was Luke's favourite team, to which she declared she also like that team. I told her she could like any team she wanted (after slapping her, of course) but questioned why she wouldn't like the might Red White and Black? She mused on this for a while.

At any rate, one following afternoon she was ratting around through some cupboards in my study, looking for paper to draw on, and excitedly came out to me holding a DVD in one of those little cardboard holders (like a cardboard CD cover, but containing a DVD) which had Nick Riewoldt on the cover, think it was a 2009 highlights jobbie that the club handed out as part of the 2010 membership package, and she declared, "Look Daddy, it's our team!".

There is hope yet!

Poor little thing doesn't know what she's in for.
 
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