Toast Vale Kevin "Cowboy" Neale

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Huge loss, another of the 66 side leaves us. Think it's time for us to deliver so the remaining players can see another Saints flag.

RIP. Legend of our club.
 
 
had no idea he kicked 5 in the 66 gf - a different era, he played up to his nickname riding up over packs, some sort of player, rip and thoughts with saints people everywhere.......
 
A couple of my favorite memories of Cowboy.
In 1977 I was at Princes Park for our game against the Hawks. They kicked their club's highest score to that time. 25.41
I think it still stands as the most behinds ever kicked. Amazingly, we kicked 16 goals ourselves. I was standing behind the goals at the scoreboard end and Cowboy was playing full back. I clearly remember him watching kick after kick sailing over his head. Back then the same guy always took the kick ins. I'm pretty sure it was Cowboy, 41 times or near enough!
It was the old manual scoreboard system and when the Hawks kicked their 40th behind a huge cheers went up from everyone. This brand new spanking number 40 saw daylight for the first time or so it seemed. Cowboy pointed to it with a big smile on his face.

The other story concerns the 1971 Grand Final, also against the Hawks. Pre-game It seemed like their star full forward, Peter Hudson, stood between us and victory. Cowboy took matters into his own hands and when the two of them were racing towards the boundary line Cowboy landed a round arm punch to the side of Hudson's head and split his ear open. A minimum of 6 weeks in the current climate. I don't think he was even reported!
Years later at a Sportsman's night he gave his version of what went down. Someone had said to him before the game that we'd be lucky to limit Hudson to less than 6 goals. Cowboy said he replied, "Not if he's unconscious."
A larger than life character, Cowboy. RIP.
 

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I played against Cowboy many times in the ACTFL in Canberra after he retired from the VFL.
He was captain /coach of Ainslie who played in St Kilda guernseys.
Very tough and extraordinary athlete despite his size, although by that stage he could only run in straight lines.We would have two or three players trying in vain to block his leads from full forward. There was virtually nothing we could do to stop him, defenders hanging off either arm.
Also a very impressive coach who turned Ainslie into the dominant team in the league.
RIP Cowboy.
 
Tiger Pete said:
I played against Cowboy many times in the ACTFL in Canberra after he retired from the VFL.
He was captain /coach of Ainslie who played in St Kilda guernseys.
Very tough and extraordinary athlete despite his size, although by that stage he could only run in straight lines.We would have two or three players trying in vain to block his leads from full forward. There was virtually nothing we could do to stop him, defenders hanging off either arm.
Also a very impressive coach who turned Ainslie into the dominant team in the league.
RIP Cowboy.
Click to expand...
Cowboy was an absolute gun on the big stage. We wouldn’t have won the 1966 flag without Cowboy's five goals.
I also remember him starring at centre half back in the 1972 Preliminary Final. He was deceptively fast and would leap high into the air and take speccies.
He was also incredibly tough.

Importantly he was a ripper bloke who was humble and popular around the club. He would be welcoming to everyone including past players.
Everyone who knew Cowboy seemed to view him with affection.
Has there ever been a Sainter as universally loved as Cowboy Neale?
 
Verdun66 said:
Alan Morrow a few weeks ago, and now Cowboy. Sad to see our Premiership heroes leaving us. Cowboy one of the great characters. Had some great stories and was loved by his team mates. And by the fans.

RIP Cowboy.
Click to expand...
7 of us and 5 of them now,RIP to all
 
I absolutely loved watching big cowboy play, he was a superstar who as much as anyone helped deliver our first flag. I can remember going down to training as a kid and being surprised cowboy was matched up with our flying wingman Stuart Trott running repeat 200m sprints. I was even more surprised when cowboy easily had his measure, he had size, speed, strength, footy nous and the heart of a lion.

RIP.
 
Never saw his generation play but met him at a gig outside Luna Park before the 2010 GF. Danny Frawley compared it and had a shocking turn out. Like 40 people or something. Got to chat with him and Frawley afterwards. He seemed like lovely affable guy and was really hoping that he was going to be joined by a new generation of Premiership players that year. He was saying that it had been too long. I hope we get one before we lose all these guys.
 
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