When did you start following the Saints and why

[desertsaint]

was a port magpies supporter like half of the territory, didn't care to much for the vfl, but liked hawthorn.
then in 79 (i think), i decided to watch the hawks season opener against some useless team called st kilda. something about the guernsey, the cool double number on the back, and the same colours as man utd. but by quarters end i was cheering for the saints, and since then i followed them over any team in any sport - instant conversion!
also nice they won that game - the rest of the season should've warned me off though.

[Gershwin]

I was about 7 and asked my mother who she barracked for. She didn't follow football at all and the first team that came into her head was St Kilda. So I said I would barrack for them too.

and now 52 years later I still say to my mother "why St Kilda !!".

[st.byron]

My old man came to the city from Terang to play for the Saints when he was 19. I had St.Kilda booties before I could talk. Was a little fella in East Bentleigh in the 60's. (Marlborough St Plugger, where were you?) Supporting the Saints was as natural as breathing......there was no other choice...

[SainterK]

4 generations of Saints supporters alive in my family, my Pop, his kids (so my Dad) the next generation (including me) and now my son

[KingSaint]

In the late 60s when I first became aware of this marvellous sport called Australian Football...I followed the tradition from my Mums side of the family and became a Saints fan.

My Dad (a Collingwood supporter) was on his second tour of Vietnam at the time and was quite badly wounded. Sent home to recuperate, he arrived to find his only son was now a Saints supporter. He still maintains this was the worse wound of all.

[IluvHarvey]

My old man came to the city from Terang to play for the Saints when he was 19. I had St.Kilda booties before I could talk. Was a little fella in East Bentleigh in the 60's. (Marlborough St Plugger, where were you?) Supporting the Saints was as natural as breathing......there was no other choice...

did your old man play much for the saints?

[plugger66]

My old man came to the city from Terang to play for the Saints when he was 19. I had St.Kilda booties before I could talk. Was a little fella in East Bentleigh in the 60's. (Marlborough St Plugger, where were you?) Supporting the Saints was as natural as breathing......there was no other choice...

Not far away. Just off gardiners rd behind the pool.

[saint1974]

My great grandfather played for the Saints back in 1913 and yes he played inthe famous grandfinal where the result was challenged only a couple of months ago my mother showed me the memorabilia from this game, his daughter my grandmother started taking me when I was 10 years old and my first membership and have now had that continous membership coming up to 38 years, my mothers follows the Saints, my kids are all members, my grandaughter aged 3 is a member and baby to be will be signed up.

That makes six generations and even my husband has now been a Saints member for 24 years.

Nothing brings me greater joy when the 3 year old granchild is word perfect with the song and know her players and numbers(hope she gets to see a flag).

I love this club and have seen some lean years and wonderful years, what would be my dream come true is to see a flag with all my family.

Go Saints

[Fidelis]

Grew up in Bentleigh and my grandmother lived in Moorabbin within walking distance of the ground. When I was 7 in 67 she gave me a jumper (#4) and a membership. I'd stay with her on Friday nights and we'd walk up to the ground. All I remember of my first game is sitting in the Moorabbin stand and being transfixed by the game of a big blonde athlete, Carl Ditterich. Never looked back.

[onlooker]

My father took me to my first saints game when I was about 6. The game was at the Junction Oval against Melbourne and we just lost. In his younger days (a lot younger) my father played with Stkilda Colts (the U19 forerunner) with people like Keith Rosewarne and Alan Olle and he told me they used to travel to the games in the back of Gronow's Removalist trucks who were/are a big St Kilda based firm at the time. So with this sort of background and these people visiting our home I think I was destined for the Saints from the time of conceoption.

[The Craw]

Geez I hate the off season ...... reruns on tv ....... now reruns of threads on forums.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Started following the Saints in 1990, when I was 11. I'm pretty sure we (Dad and I) got memberships that year and have had one every year, bar about one, since and have seen basically every game St Kilda have played since about 1997 (when we first got pay-TV) either live, or on TV (I would watch every game about 3 times, once we got pay-TV).
In my first 11 years, for whatever reason, Dad didn't follow the Saints much any more (after following them in the 40's, 50's, 60' and maybe 70's) and didn't go at all, so I basically just followed whichever team was doing well in the early 80's and then, around '86, I switched to Sydney, basically because I was a huge fan of one Warwick Capper. I just loved all the screamers he would take and the goals he'd kick and they became my team for a few years there. It also didn't hurt that they did really well around that time and also had the likes of Diesel Williams, Barry Mitchell and the one who became my favourite when Capper left (after '87), Gerard Healy, in the team.
But then Dad decided to start following the Saints again in 1990 and that we'd go to watch them and we've been to just about every St Kilda game in Melbourne since then.
I still remember that first game in 1990, against Footscray, at what became the Whitten Oval. We had a good win and it was Kenny Sheldon's first game coaching us and we were near the coaches box and he came out after the final siren and pulled his pant leg up to show us his red white and black socks, as he ran down to the ground. The Saints fans gave a big cheer and he gave us a huge smile and I think a fist pump and I've been a Saint ever since.
I hope to one day see us win a premiership!
Go Sainters!

[whiskers3614]

Came to Australia late in '65.Saw kids @ school kicking what looked to me like a red cantaloupe (balls are meant to be round?).Picked up very basic English in the first 12 months, still blisfully unaware of the native game apart from loud crowd noise I could hear on a friday night(lived a few blocks from Lakeside oval, believe night games were played there between teams outside finals?)Anyway must've been late '66 when a schoolmate asked who I barracked for.Didn't understand the word barrack so he explained that it meant who do you hope wins the footy, to which I answered "which team is best?' ANSWER:St Kilda. OK then I barrack for St Kilda.Sure glad we didn't come to Australia in '57!

[jonesy]

Born in 80. Dragged along each week as soon as I could walk and made to stand with Dad and his one eyed mates. He created a monster.....

Only knew failure from early memories,and kicking the footy at Moorabbin by myself in the dark after games as the others boozed on. remember sneaking into the after match functions and hearing the players apologise after each week and promise that next week they'd win. They never did....

Tony Lockett came along,and I found God in the form of an awesome unstoppable goalkicking machine. I worshipped everything he did,I was in awe of his every movement. All I ever wanted growing up as a kid,was to be Tony Lockett. He left us, but my love for the club grew stronger.Seeing a premiership is all i ever wanted. Then I witnessed Grand Final losses,some back to back,now I am a broken man in a straight jacket in the corner of an empty room,banging my head against the wall thinking about that bounce,and those misses,and Shane Ellen,and Jarman swivveling

[gringo]

We lived in Carlton as a kid in the early 80s and I tried following the Blues.

my grand parents on both sides and dad worked me around, my brother stayed with Carlton.

Dad and my mums dad both played country footy in Saints colours and My grandpa boarded at Caulfield Grammar so apparently that was some excuse also? Not sure why.

The 80s were a great time to be a Saints supporter so it wasn't until the late 80s and early 90s when in my teens I really got fanatically obsessed.

[Stephen Theodore]

My first memory of a live game was in 1965 or 1967, the game at Moorabin where the siren failed at 1/4 time (or 1/2 time) The memory getting a bit blurred these days.

Carlscum kicked a goal in the period where the siren failed and the cow bell rang which would have been 30-40 seconds difference.

Ironically Carlscum won by 5 points. Was lucky enough (or unlucky) to go to the G.F. in 1965 with the old man V Essendon ,and watched them get pumped. Missed out on 1966 G.F. and have been to the rest since then with St Kilda participating, so no joy for G.F for me with Saints. (so far)

[The Redeemer]

Father with gun to my head. The gun to head is not true.

I was forced.

[saintkev]

Growing up in Mordi 1959, I was a young tacker in grade 2 playing kick to kick at lunchtime. Didn't know much about teams. My friend asked who I barracked for. I asked him who he barracked for.
He replied, "The Mighty SAINTS."
"Yeah that's who I barrack for." I said.
That afternoon when I arrived home I asked mum who the Mighty Saints were. She showed me a glossy magazine photo of the team wearing white sleeves, collars and backs. I liked the colours and so began my life's allegiance.
It was confirmed in the early 60s when my dad took me to a game at the Junction Oval and I saw Carl Ditterich in his first game tear Melbourne apart.

[Verdun66]

My first memory of a live game was in 1965 or 1967, the game at Moorabin where the siren failed at 1/4 time (or 1/2 time) The memory getting a bit blurred these days.

Carlscum kicked a goal in the period where the siren failed and the cow bell rang which would have been 30-40 seconds difference.

Ironically Carlscum won by 5 points. Was lucky enough (or unlucky) to go to the G.F. in 1965 with the old man V Essendon ,and watched them get pumped. Missed out on 1966 G.F. and have been to the rest since then with St Kilda participating, so no joy for G.F for me with Saints. (so far)

That all rings a bell! Pretty sure I was at that game. 1967 I think.

We moved to Melbourne from Sydney in 1962, and I started in 63 aged 7 or 8. Main reason was that they had the most interesting looking name. Plus a couple of my new mates at Beaumaris State School wore the Saints jumpers to school. Went to the Junction Oval a few times, can't remember who exactly was playing the first time, but my first Moorabbin game was against Fitzroy in '65. Remember the colours as we arrived for the reserves.

My last game before we moved back to Sydney was the last round in 1967 against Collingwood. We beat them convincingly, and we missed the finals. I was gutted on two fronts. We missed the finals, and I didn't know when I'd see the Saints play again

[3rd generation saint]

I was born in the U.S. My mother was a war bride from here.
My Grandfather on my mother's side was a life long St.Kilda supporter (1st Gen).
When we moved here in 1965 my mother (2nd Gen) indoctrinated us to follow the Saints, hence 3GS.

[3rd generation saint]

I was born in the U.S. My mother was a war bride from here.
My Grandfather on my mother's side was a life long St.Kilda supporter (1st Gen).
When we moved here in 1965 my mother (2nd Gen) indoctrinated us to follow the Saints, hence 3GS.

[Dr Spaceman]

I first started getting interested in footy in the mid 60s. 

My parents had no interest in the game but a Bomber supporting uncle and another who barracked for the Blues took it in turns to try and recruit me. Then my primary school mate who followed the Pies had a dip. Bit none of these stuck.

We lived in Moorabbin, not far from Patterson Station. 

I started to follow the Saints in the late 60s and my  passion continued to grow over the next few years. However I was still a bit young to attend games by myself so my support revolved around listening to games on the radio. It was only on the very odd occasion that I found myself at Linton Street.

The real turning point was 1973. My mum had developed an interest in horse racing and had developed a friendship with some of the local jockeys such as Frank Reys, Frank Gumbleton, Peter Bakos and Alan Trevena. The latter was a keen Saints supporter and lived just around the corner from the ground. One day he rocked up at the door with 4 junior membership tickets. One of my older sisters took me and my brother to the MCG for Round 1 against Melbourne. This was Carl's first game for the Dees and for the Saints the debut of WA recruits George Young and Russell Reynolds.  We won and I was hooked.

That was the start of what will become 40 years of consecutive membership in 2012.

GO SAINTS!!!

[bergholt]

like many here, i never really had a choice. great grandfather was a saints supporter and it passed genetically all the way down the line like sickle cell anaemia or a weak chin.

first went to a game in 87 when i was very small and it was starting to get interesting. over the intervening years, saw plugger kick a couple of tons, went to the first final in decades in 91. was at waverley for all of harvs' magical 97 and 98 seasons and of course went to my first grand final then. and everything else since - with a minor break for early twenties booze and chicks.

it's been a long road but fun, by and large.

[SinCitySainter]

I moved to Australia late in 1981 from England and at school was immediately thrust into playing footy. In England I had played primarily rugby union and cricket. I was a big lad, over 6 foot at 14 and very broad shouldered, built like the preverbial brick outhouse. That gave me somewhat of an advantage at the physical aspects of footy and it didn't take me long to make the school team as a forward. I could catch the ball,I say catch because still being new to the game I had no concept of marking except that was what the fullback did in rugby but he was a back so as I forward I did not think he counted. I was a very ordinary kick and as for hand balling, well lets not go there, but boy could I apply a crunching tackle. Playing for the school and hearing all the discussions it soon became clear that I had to pick a side.

The school I was attending everybody either loved or hated Collingwood, pretty much the same as everywhere I guess, but I was always a bit of an individual so that appealed to me. The most supported teams were Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and North (we were in their zone). So although the polar impact of the pies had appeal I was fervently against following a crowd so none of those four were an option. I was living in the South East of Melbourne, so Geelong, Essendon, Footscray and Fitzroy were no goers. That left only St Kilda, South Melbourne, Hawthorn and Melbourne who were possible. Hawthorn were the closest team but they wore brown, brown for god sake noone wore brown and the whole silver spoon aspect of Melbourne left me with just two choices.

I watched a lot of games on the telly and was pretty much settled on South Melbourne as I liked the nickname the bloods.

Then I was invited to attend my first live game of VFL football by a bunch of South African Geelong supporters. It was early 83 and St Kilda were playing Geelong at VFL park in Waverly. There was a big scandel as the Saints lined up with both Silvio Foschini and Paul Morwood in the side. Foschini had only received a clearance to play for St Kilda by going through the courts and Morwood was not cleared to play at all. St Kilda lost that day but the pure arrogance of the lowlife Geelong supporters I was with coupled with the antiestablishment attitude of the Saints at the time meant that was it for me. There was no turning back. Had I been with a different group of people my attitude may have been different and I may be a Sydney Swans fan today which would have made my thirteen years living in Sin City a touch easier I guess but jeez I hated the ignorance of the swans supporters.

[plugger66]

I moved to Australia late in 1981 from England and at school was immediately thrust into playing footy. In England I had played primarily rugby union and cricket. I was a big lad, over 6 foot at 14 and very broad shouldered, built like the preverbial brick outhouse. That gave me somewhat of an advantage at the physical aspects of footy and it didn't take me long to make the school team as a forward. I could catch the ball,I say catch because still being new to the game I had no concept of marking except that was what the fullback did in rugby but he was a back so as I forward I did not think he counted. I was a very ordinary kick and as for hand balling, well lets not go there, but boy could I apply a crunching tackle. Playing for the school and hearing all the discussions it soon became clear that I had to pick a side.

The school I was attending everybody either loved or hated Collingwood, pretty much the same as everywhere I guess, but I was always a bit of an individual so that appealed to me. The most supported teams were Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and North (we were in their zone). So although the polar impact of the pies had appeal I was fervently against following a crowd so none of those four were an option. I was living in the South East of Melbourne, so Geelong, Essendon, Footscray and Fitzroy were no goers. That left only St Kilda, South Melbourne, Hawthorn and Melbourne who were possible. Hawthorn were the closest team but they wore brown, brown for god sake noone wore brown and the whole silver spoon aspect of Melbourne left me with just two choices.

I watched a lot of games on the telly and was pretty much settled on South Melbourne as I liked the nickname the bloods.

Then I was invited to attend my first live game of VFL football by a bunch of South African Geelong supporters. It was early 83 and St Kilda were playing Geelong at VFL park in Waverly. There was a big scandel as the Saints lined up with both Silvio Foschini and Paul Morwood in the side. Foschini had only received a clearance to play for St Kilda by going through the courts and Morwood was not cleared to play at all. St Kilda lost that day but the pure arrogance of the lowlife Geelong supporters I was with coupled with the antiestablishment attitude of the Saints at the time meant that was it for me. There was no turning back. Had I been with a different group of people my attitude may have been different and I may be a Sydney Swans fan today which would have made my thirteen years living in Sin City a touch easier I guess but jeez I hated the ignorance of the swans supporters.

Another fair player made there debut in that game but was lost in the Foschini, Morwood saga, Plugger and got a goal with his first kick.