Plugger.

[prwilkinson]

Yeah shouldn't have started this post..... Plugger still is and always will be my favourite AFL player. I was utterly gutted when he left the club. Hence why I have him as my avatar pic.

[Enrico_Misso]

It was an odd moment and I wondered then if the decision had been made.
The Alves applauding in retrospect looked like a last minute deperate attempt to persuade him to stay.
But Plugger's body language indicated it was too late.

For me it was one of those key milestone moments in your life.
That was the moment I realised we had lost him.
He was, is, and probably always will be the greatest player player I have ever seen.
He gave so much and we have so many fantastic memories of his heroics.

But we were deprived of so much more by this "conspiracy".
Eighteen years later the bitterness still remains.

[GrumpyOne]

I was in Kelly's Pub in Cranbourne the night when Robert Hession laid out Plugger's choices for a new club.

Going back to the Saints was never an option, to quote "not while that c...... is there."

His preference was Collingwood and Richmond in that order.

The Collingwood deal was signed and sealed as far as he was concerned.

He was not happy when told the Swans was the only viable option.

Something to do with Draft Pick order.

He was going to stand out from football for a year, but as he had been ripped off mega-dollars by his accountant shortly before, Hession told him that he would be bankrupt if he stood out.

His biggest concern was leaving Devon Meadows and his greyhounds.

Plugger is not a quiet man when angry, and anyone who was in the Bistro that night was privy to the conversation.

[mcadam05]

Here's a bit on Lockett after he kicked his 100th in 1992

[stinger]

Here's a bit on Lockett after he kicked his 100th in 1992

i enjoyed watching that...thanks...

[mcadam05]

Here's a bit on Lockett after he kicked his 100th in 1992

i enjoyed watching that...thanks...

A couple of backhanders for the "Media"

[perfectionist]

I was in Kelly's Pub in Cranbourne the night when Robert Hession laid out Plugger's choices for a new club.

Going back to the Saints was never an option, to quote "not while that c...... is there."

His preference was Collingwood and Richmond in that order.

The Collingwood deal was signed and sealed as far as he was concerned.

He was not happy when told the Swans was the only viable option.

Something to do with Draft Pick order.

He was going to stand out from football for a year, but as he had been ripped off mega-dollars by his accountant shortly before, Hession told him that he would be bankrupt if he stood out.

His biggest concern was leaving Devon Meadows and his greyhounds.

Plugger is not a quiet man when angry, and anyone who was in the Bistro that night was privy to the conversation.

So, who was the person at St Kilda that he was trying to get away from?

[stinger]

Here's a bit on Lockett after he kicked his 100th in 1992

i enjoyed watching that...thanks...

A couple of backhanders for the "Media"

yep....derm was spot on too....i sat next to plugger at a dinner once.....very nice..and polite young man....

[stevie]

Here's a bit on Lockett after he kicked his 100th in 1992

Lol, Sam Newman looks like The f*****' Great Gatsby with that hairdo

[GrumpyOne]

I was in Kelly's Pub in Cranbourne the night when Robert Hession laid out Plugger's choices for a new club.

Going back to the Saints was never an option, to quote "not while that c...... is there."

His preference was Collingwood and Richmond in that order.

The Collingwood deal was signed and sealed as far as he was concerned.

He was not happy when told the Swans was the only viable option.

Something to do with Draft Pick order.

He was going to stand out from football for a year, but as he had been ripped off mega-dollars by his accountant shortly before, Hession told him that he would be bankrupt if he stood out.

His biggest concern was leaving Devon Meadows and his greyhounds.

Plugger is not a quiet man when angry, and anyone who was in the Bistro that night was privy to the conversation.

So, who was the person at St Kilda that he was trying to get away from?

Somebody he apparently had a physical confrontation with. It might have been a bloke called Fat Hunt, or something that sounded like that.

[To the top]

Remember that Lockett had a very chequered history with the Saints over his later years at the Club.

Lots of injuries and lots of suspensions. And that was publicly!

How many games did he play in each season - for what return?

Collingwood making an offer is fact - the guy with the refrigeration truck business with his brother (blue trucks, forgotten his name - was a commentator at the ABC - started with a "C" but stuck on Clements which is wrong - it will come to me) hosted a fund-raiser and made mention of contract negotiations the club was having with Lockett - the room fell absolutely silent because the negotiations were not known publicly.

Turned out this guy was only speculating and had no formal knowledge but there was panic at the highest levels at the mere mention.

Went to Sydney because of the money and because he was not in the public eye up there - and could do as he wanted including with his greyhounds which was and probably still is his way.

Vicki was happy enough to go also for the same reasons.

It could be said that he had run his race at St Kilda for many reasons - including that the man became bigger than the Club because of the focus on him resulting in the club being held to ransom far too easily.

That said, he was a great guy socially and did many noteworthy things within the community.

And on the field, on his day and when focussed, simply awesome as his record attests to.

[To the top]

Watts, who I think was General Manager at the time.

Story from a pretty reliable souce at the time was that the came to blows.

[plugger66]

Cleland. And they certainly came to blows in front of many people including me. Have no idea why though.

[To the top]

Cleland is correct.

Watts was a pretty tough hombre himself - story was it was not all one way traffic.

Mind you it was Watts who chased up the first hand accounts after Tony broke the guys arm when shoving him down the stairs outside the Gold Pass Room - and did what was necessary to keep the incident quiet and stop the guy from going to the media as he had threatened.

Threatened to tell the guy's wife (and they had 4 kids) what the guy had said to Vicki.

He went quiet!

[BringBackMadDog]

we lost plugger, but with picked up aussie jones, joel smith, and tony brown, who turned out to be just the tonic we needed at the time.

BUT, can u imagine we had lockett at full-forward, instead of Heatley, in the '97 GF???

jones and brown were our picks anyway......we got joel and a packet of used condoms.....

Incorrect we also got Daryl Wakelin

[plugger66]

we lost plugger, but with picked up aussie jones, joel smith, and tony brown, who turned out to be just the tonic we needed at the time.

BUT, can u imagine we had lockett at full-forward, instead of Heatley, in the '97 GF???

jones and brown were our picks anyway......we got joel and a packet of used condoms.....

Incorrect we also got Daryl Wakelin

I dont think so. We got Robert Neill.

[skeptic]

interesting thread

I esp like that the greatest full forward in the history of the game wouldn't have made a difference in a grandfinal in which they dropped talls back and monstered us based on the rational that he failed in the 96 GF after leading the Swans there. Well thought and and reasoned.

And to think that I'm accussed of posting things i can't prove

[gringo]

I had a mate that followed the swans and had to hear all about their Plugger the same one he had hated after he caved in Caven. I hate Plugger now, find him a distasteful blip that cut and run, same with Hall. The loyal ones are much easier to talk about. He sees himself as a swan, he helped talk Hall up there, he's no friend of our club. He can f*** off for all I care. The Swans still s*** me too as the seem to target our marquee players. Luckily I'm not a recruiter as I would have blown our salary cap on 3 players with spiteful approaches to all their players.

At least since Luke Testicle left I have a new found team to despise and I have self counselled myself to deal with the Swans, well at least until they snaffled that disloyal Irish bastard.

[whiskers3614]

I had a mate that followed the swans and had to hear all about their Plugger the same one he had hated after he caved in Caven. I hate Plugger now, find him a distasteful blip that cut and run, same with Hall. The loyal ones are much easier to talk about. He sees himself as a swan, he helped talk Hall up there, he's no friend of our club. He can f*** off for all I care. The Swans still s*** me too as the seem to target our marquee players. Luckily I'm not a recruiter as I would have blown our salary cap on 3 players with spiteful approaches to all their players.

At least since Luke Testicle left I have a new found team to despise and I have self counselled myself to deal with the Swans, well at least until they snaffled that disloyal Irish bastard.

How do you feel towards Fremantle?

[gringo]

I had a mate that followed the swans and had to hear all about their Plugger the same one he had hated after he caved in Caven. I hate Plugger now, find him a distasteful blip that cut and run, same with Hall. The loyal ones are much easier to talk about. He sees himself as a swan, he helped talk Hall up there, he's no friend of our club. He can f*** off for all I care. The Swans still s*** me too as the seem to target our marquee players. Luckily I'm not a recruiter as I would have blown our salary cap on 3 players with spiteful approaches to all their players.

At least since Luke Testicle left I have a new found team to despise and I have self counselled myself to deal with the Swans, well at least until they snaffled that disloyal Irish bastard.

How do you feel towards Fremantle?

A little less aggrieved. In hindsight they took the f****** trash out- unless they make the 8 and Zac kicks the winning goal in a Gf and gives me reason to hope the all those sun struck west australian richmond like rabble invest with ross' accountant.

[whiskers3614]

A man after my own heart!

[bigred]

Bankrolled by the AFL. Plain and simple.

Remember that Sydney was a basket case at the time. Barrassi was up there to stop the bleeding but they were rooted to a much higher level than say Melbourne are at the minute.

There was no way Lockett could say no. He would have been a fool and we as a football club would be a good ten years behind where we are now if he stayed.

He had to go. Really he did.

Played his absolute best football for St Kilda. No doubt about it.

[plugger66]

I had a mate that followed the swans and had to hear all about their Plugger the same one he had hated after he caved in Caven. I hate Plugger now, find him a distasteful blip that cut and run, same with Hall. The loyal ones are much easier to talk about. He sees himself as a swan, he helped talk Hall up there, he's no friend of our club. He can f*** off for all I care. The Swans still s*** me too as the seem to target our marquee players. Luckily I'm not a recruiter as I would have blown our salary cap on 3 players with spiteful approaches to all their players.

At least since Luke Testicle left I have a new found team to despise and I have self counselled myself to deal with the Swans, well at least until they snaffled that disloyal Irish bastard.

How do you feel towards Fremantle?

A little less aggrieved. In hindsight they took the f****** trash out- unless they make the 8 and Zac kicks the winning goal in a Gf and gives me reason to hope the all those sun struck west australian richmond like rabble invest with ross' accountant.

Love guys who hate players that leave. Do you hate workmates that leave? Hate is such a lovely word. I have 2 heroes in my life, one is Plugger and the other is Greg Norman. When Plugger left I was devastated but at least I could still see him play most weeks on TV. Even when we played the Swans I always hoped he would go well but we would beat them.The day he kicked the point to get them into the GF i went off tap. My wife was looking at me as if I was from another planet. Maybe I am.

[joffaboy]

Love guys who hate players that leave.

yes, a very strange way to behave. Hating someone because they dont conform to a vision of "loyalty". Hating someone that they dont know

Wasted energy IMHO.

As for Plugger, he is the reason I support the Saints. Moving from Sydney in 1988 I had a choice to make. I had a soft spot for the Saints but never really followed AFl. Didn't like Sydney at all. Liked Norths colours, my family were Bulldogs supporters but they had Eastern Suburbs Rugby League club colours, and I lived in Richmond. Was taken to my first H&A matchhat Moorabbin against Melbourne by a couple of Saints supporting friends. There was a bored looking ruckman named WOW, a skinny ranga called Danniels and some huge fat bloke standing near the goal posts not moving much but when he did he bowled over any Demon defender standing in front of him, caught the ball and kicked a goal from all angles.

That was it. I was sold. If a footy team can have abig fat bloke up forward, that team was for me. Little did I know he was the reigning Brownlow medallist, and was the player (mainly with Nicky, Burke, and Buckets) that I would live and die by for the next six years.

When he was playing for Sydney, I wondered across to the Western Oval from my brother-in-laws place and watch him kick the second 8 of 16 straight against the happless Roy boys. A more awesome FF display could not have been imagined. Still one of the most enduring memories of ever watching AFL football.

[Saints43]

The day he kicked the point to get them into the GF i went off tap. My wife was looking at me as if I was from another planet. Maybe I am.

I was hoping he kicked it out on the full. I wanted him to have no success away from St Kilda and cheered North home in the 96 GF. Was also glad that O'Brien got a knock on the head in that game.