"St Kildas Golden Era and the Lost Flags" Article

[Pureoctain]

http://aflsoul.blogspot.com/2011/09/st- ... flags.html

New article about St Kilda

[AdelaideSainter]

Quite a depressing read. Well, the first ¾ of the article anyway.

Like most supporters, the happenings of the past three GF’s are sitting heavy on my mind this week.

[BigMart]

Great article

Sad but true

[SaintPav]

http://aflsoul.blogspot.com/2011/09/st- ... flags.html

New article about St Kilda

please..

[Stephen Theodore]

Very accurate, if not slightly depressing.

[saint patrick]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

[OneEyedSainter77]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

Ah, welcome to the life of a St Kilda fan.

Every year is the same.

The expectation and hope, the bitter disappointment and then reflecting on what could have been while hoping for the same next year.

Its the vicious St Kilda circle.... And i wouldn't have it any other way!

GO SAINTS!

[ThePunter]

This happened, then this happened, then this happened.

No insight, mispelling and factual errors.

Next.

[Stillwaiting]

This week keeps reminding me of the last 2 failures, and I am still dirty on 97 when we were clearly the best team.

[Johnny Member]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

Ah, welcome to the life of a St Kilda fan.

Every year is the same.

The expectation and hope, the bitter disappointment and then reflecting on what could have been while hoping for the same next year.

Its the vicious St Kilda circle.... And i wouldn't have it any other way!

GO SAINTS!

You don't think that it's the life of supporters from pretty much every club?

[older saint]

This week keeps reminding me of the last 2 failures, and I am still dirty on 97 when we were clearly the best team.

Missed opportunities galour. Unfortuntely What If is the sloganof this club. Only need to go back to 1913 when they beat Fitzroy in the Final , however the challenge system allowed Fitzroy ot Challenge and a Premiership which was ours was gone. Since then 65,71,91,92,97,2004,2005,2009,2010!

On 97 - that is what happens when a coach leaves the Prelim at 3/4 time and misses the moves made int he last quarter - Ellen forward, Jarman forward. etc.

[Johnny Member]

Saints fans feeling sorry for themselves s***s me.


We've won the same amount of flags and several clubs in the past 50 years, and have won more than some others.

We've played in more Grand Finals than plenty of clubs in that time too.


Since the AFL came in, we've been a really competitive and relatively successful club.


I don't want anyone's pity. I love barracking for the Saints. I feel privileged to have been raised as a Saints supporters.

I pity people who don't barrack for the Saints.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

Ah, welcome to the life of a St Kilda fan.

Every year is the same.

The expectation and hope, the bitter disappointment and then reflecting on what could have been while hoping for the same next year.

Its the vicious St Kilda circle.... And i wouldn't have it any other way!

GO SAINTS!

You don't think that it's the life of supporters from pretty much every club?

Of course, but here at St Kilda the cycle is the same every single year - the other fifteen clubs (well most of them) have years where after all this promise and hope and faith, they actually win a flag.

They only other teams that go through the exact same thing every year as us are Freo, (who are brand new, might as well include GWS and Gold Coast) melbourne (and they have nine or ten other flags for their history at least) the bulldogs (apparently a successful VFA side though) and Richmond (another team with a fairly lucrative past in terms of flags)

So yes, we are the least successful. the reason why tesams such as Carlton collingwood and Essendon have so many flags. because if we're crap, we're just providing them with easy points and if we make the Grand Final, we're providing them (1966 aside) with easy premierships.

The fact is that 1966 team should be revered amongst us as they are the only St Kilda side to do what the other 110 odd couldn't....

I don't want other's pity too. it doesn't do anything for me.

Yes, readin the article made me a little disappointed at first because it brought back memories of last year but as a true Sainter, I'm stronger than that.

We are the strongest and most loyal supporters in the competition. Perhaps not the most passionate, perhaps not the best, but we stick by our club no matter what, and that is something to be proud of.

[saintspremiers]

Ultimately, the team has failed.

We weren't good enough. Simple.

Good enough means kicking gettable goals.

Also means having off field staff available to keep players on the park (GT era was lacking this!).

[OneEyedSainter77]

Ultimately, the team has failed.

We weren't good enough. Simple.

Good enough means kicking gettable goals.
Also means having off field staff available to keep players on the park (GT era was lacking this!).

Precisely.

i'm sick of seeing people say things like "If only the ball bounced right" or "If only that goal by Hawkins wasn't allowed" or "If only Scarlett didn't toe poke that ball.

We should've kicked straighter in 2009, simple as that and we shouldn't have let Collingwood have a four goal head start last year, simple as that.

[Harvey To Hayes]

This happened, then this happened, then this happened.

No insight, mispelling and factual errors.

Next.

Shithouse, arrogant post. Back to Big Footy...

[ThePunter]

The article also mentions culture, which is code for saying "I don't understand why St Kilda never win, and don't see the world in the many shades of grey which it is, so I'll use a lazy, childish umbrella term".

The piece has no credibility, and anything factual is tells us (unlike the Wellingham claim, which was refuted by the man himself recently), we already knew.

St Kilda are s***, LOL.

I can think of worse things.

[SaintPav]

The article also mentions culture, which is code for saying "I don't understand why St Kilda never win, and don't see the world in the many shades of grey which it is, so I'll use a lazy, childish umbrella term".

The piece has no credibility, and anything factual is tells us (unlike the Wellingham claim, which was refuted by the man himself recently), we already knew.

St Kilda are s***, LOL.

I can think of worse things.

+1

This "article" does not deserve its own thread.

[Johnny Member]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

Ah, welcome to the life of a St Kilda fan.

Every year is the same.

The expectation and hope, the bitter disappointment and then reflecting on what could have been while hoping for the same next year.

Its the vicious St Kilda circle.... And i wouldn't have it any other way!

GO SAINTS!

You don't think that it's the life of supporters from pretty much every club?

Of course, but here at St Kilda the cycle is the same every single year - the other fifteen clubs (well most of them) have years where after all this promise and hope and faith, they actually win a flag.

They only other teams that go through the exact same thing every year as us are Freo, (who are brand new, might as well include GWS and Gold Coast) melbourne (and they have nine or ten other flags for their history at least) the bulldogs (apparently a successful VFA side though) and Richmond (another team with a fairly lucrative past in terms of flags)

So yes, we are the least successful.

I don't mean to offend, but that reeks of defeatism.


Richmond had a golden about 1000 years ago. Sydney have one flag in their history. The Bulldogs have one in their history, and haven't won one for longer than us, Freo have been in comp for nearly 20 years and have never played in a Grand Final.

And other clubs like North, had gone without flags for nearly 100 years until they had a little golden era.


It's worth noting too, that VFL flags were under totally different rules, with a completely different fixture and many less teams.



I don't get why our record is frowned upon the way it is. We started as junior football club, and battled up to play in the big league. There were no favours back then.
So naturally, in that type of comp we weren't competitive for a very long time.

Frankly, I think for a junior club to find itself 100 years down the track with a premiership, 40,000 members and a very strong following, and having just played 10 years of finals and 2 grand finals is a pretty f****** good effort.

I'd much rather the Saints win a flag, but to me that's not what supporting a club is about. They don't owe me anything. I don't feel cheated or ripped off if the club doesn't win the flag.


I don't think we're a battler, or have a 'wretched history'.

And I don't think we're worse off than anyone else. We're only a little bit luck and a little bit of time away from finding our 'golden era'.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

Ah, welcome to the life of a St Kilda fan.

Every year is the same.

The expectation and hope, the bitter disappointment and then reflecting on what could have been while hoping for the same next year.

Its the vicious St Kilda circle.... And i wouldn't have it any other way!

GO SAINTS!

You don't think that it's the life of supporters from pretty much every club?

Of course, but here at St Kilda the cycle is the same every single year - the other fifteen clubs (well most of them) have years where after all this promise and hope and faith, they actually win a flag.

They only other teams that go through the exact same thing every year as us are Freo, (who are brand new, might as well include GWS and Gold Coast) melbourne (and they have nine or ten other flags for their history at least) the bulldogs (apparently a successful VFA side though) and Richmond (another team with a fairly lucrative past in terms of flags)

So yes, we are the least successful.

I don't mean to offend, but that reeks of defeatism.


Richmond had a golden about 1000 years ago. Sydney have one flag in their history. The Bulldogs have one in their history, and haven't won one for longer than us, Freo have been in comp for nearly 20 years and have never played in a Grand Final.

And other clubs like North, had gone without flags for nearly 100 years until they had a little golden era.


It's worth noting too, that VFL flags were under totally different rules, with a completely different fixture and many less teams.



I don't get why our record is frowned upon the way it is. We started as junior football club, and battled up to play in the big league. There were no favours back then.
So naturally, in that type of comp we weren't competitive for a very long time.

Frankly, I think for a junior club to find itself 100 years down the track with a premiership, 40,000 members and a very strong following, and having just played 10 years of finals and 2 grand finals is a pretty f****** good effort.

I'd much rather the Saints win a flag, but to me that's not what supporting a club is about. They don't owe me anything. I don't feel cheated or ripped off if the club doesn't win the flag.
I don't think we're a battler, or have a 'wretched history'.

And I don't think we're worse off than anyone else. We're only a little bit luck and a little bit of time away from finding our 'golden era'.

No offence taken. There's no real way to read that without thinking I'm speaking with a defeatists attitude. I'm not intending it to sound that way - rather just stating some facts. They are there in black and white that we are the most unsuccessful club in the history of the competition, BUT like you put it the most imporessive thing about us is the fact that ins pite all of this, we have managed to stay alive all this time and memberwise are one of the stronger Victorian clubs in the competition.

Sure, we're not as rich in members and money as the Pies or Bombers or the like but we only do what we can. You're dividing one city into ten parts (well nine,. since Geelong is its own city too) - and we still manage to find a decent amount of supporters.

Add to that, the fact that we have stuck by the club through thick and thin. Some might argue its because the there's been a lot of thick to deal with so we're used to it but I say its because we love this club so much and that is why I think your bolded point above rings true for a lot of us.

We stay on board because they give us the chance to experience that something magical - that elusive flag - (and how we will all celebrate it when that day comes, but I digress) but should they fail to deliver they have not FAILED over the year, they have not DISAPPOINTED us.

The club doesn't deserve to be beaten up just because we get our heart's broken because we wear it on our sleeve. I agree with your sentiments on the club doesn't owe us anything.

If we really wanted to experience the feeling so badly, we'd go to another club.

But we don't because we're loyal and we're SAINTERS!

Like I said, I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Stillwaiting]

Great article ..sums it up very well..like the tone of optimism in the latter part..god I hope it turns out that way..this week my thoughts have been constantly drifting back to the "what ifs" and "what could have been "

Ah, welcome to the life of a St Kilda fan.

Every year is the same.

The expectation and hope, the bitter disappointment and then reflecting on what could have been while hoping for the same next year.

Its the vicious St Kilda circle.... And i wouldn't have it any other way!

This is a great post. I have to say that I find the frustration so bad that I almost hate the club, particarly after the last 2 years, but the thing is I love the saints and I just want the 1 flag in my lifetime. If it happens, and I mean if, not when, the euphoria will be far greater for us than other clubs
GO SAINTS!

You don't think that it's the life of supporters from pretty much every club?

Of course, but here at St Kilda the cycle is the same every single year - the other fifteen clubs (well most of them) have years where after all this promise and hope and faith, they actually win a flag.

They only other teams that go through the exact same thing every year as us are Freo, (who are brand new, might as well include GWS and Gold Coast) melbourne (and they have nine or ten other flags for their history at least) the bulldogs (apparently a successful VFA side though) and Richmond (another team with a fairly lucrative past in terms of flags)

So yes, we are the least successful. the reason why tesams such as Carlton collingwood and Essendon have so many flags. because if we're crap, we're just providing them with easy points and if we make the Grand Final, we're providing them (1966 aside) with easy premierships.

The fact is that 1966 team should be revered amongst us as they are the only St Kilda side to do what the other 110 odd couldn't....

I don't want other's pity too. it doesn't do anything for me.

Yes, readin the article made me a little disappointed at first because it brought back memories of last year but as a true Sainter, I'm stronger than that.

We are the strongest and most loyal supporters in the competition. Perhaps not the most passionate, perhaps not the best, but we stick by our club no matter what, and that is something to be proud of.

[westy]

Saints fans feeling sorry for themselves s***s me.


We've won the same amount of flags and several clubs in the past 50 years, and have won more than some others.

We've played in more Grand Finals than plenty of clubs in that time too.


Since the AFL came in, we've been a really competitive and relatively successful club.


I don't want anyone's pity. I love barracking for the Saints. I feel privileged to have been raised as a Saints supporters.




I pity people who don't barrack for the Saints.

Johnny, I like the way you think. I am with you all the way.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Oh one other thing I forgot to mention that is a good point also. I've been reading on bigfooty (god knows why) some of the very early posts way back in 2000 when the only reperesentative we had on that site was Sainter. He brought up a point I was reminded of in your post.

Apparently when we joined the league it wasn't because of success or anything like that (like some other clubs such as the 1925 brigade) but because the teams like Geelong or essendon wanted someone south of the yarra (which stop me if I'm wrong but I thought South Melbourne would also qualify as that).

We are also one of the oldest of the foundation clubs, we're about nineteen years older than Collingwood (who only won one VFA flag anyway).

Anyway, it all makes sense now. We never had any success in the VFA and as such, it transferred into the first seven years of existence in the VFL - people are always quick to say "Wow, how s*** is that - six consecutive wooden spoons" but what they need to realise is that there was going to be one team who wouldn't be successful, and it just happened to be us.


Look at GCS this year. Exactly the same as us in our first year, smashed every week, the only difference being that they managed a few wins.

[hungry for a premiership]

I liked this part of the article:

The future at St Kilda may not be as bleak as many predict, with the right coach and the right plan in place, St Kilda will not fall off the cliff, as has happened so many times in its history. Most importantly the winning culture created in the last decade should be held onto tooth and nail. St Kilda has been a team feared over the last decade and "St Kilda football" should not leave with Ross Lyon. A culture of success has been built and will not die easily.

Even though the term "culture" can be a throwaway umbrella term, I do believe that in the past ten years we have indeed created a "culture of winning" at the club. We no longer go into any game thinking "we can't win, we don't expect to win at all," as was the case in the 80's and late 90's early 00's. Other teams do respect and even fear us as a club. We have been a top four club for a long, long time.

And there is no reason why this has to change. Winning breeds winning. We still have 95% of the same personnel that has proven itself to be elite.

Time will ultimatley tell, but I believe the club has turned the corner with regard to its "defeatest" tag and mentality.

[kosifantutti23]

The piece has no credibility, and anything factual is tells us (unlike the Wellingham claim, which was refuted by the man himself recently), we already knew.

Did he? I'd love to read that.