Leave your tributes here for Milney - to be printed

[saintspremiers]

Thanks for the memories you little champ. It's hard for us small stature blokes to stand tall amongst tall people but you've done all us dwarfs proud!

Now just come out not guilty and all will be good!

[bergsone]

Knew you as a young lad playing cricket,so I kept a close eye on your career,being a saint was a bonus for me.Maybe now you can work on that singing voice

Well done mate

[yipper]

Thankyou Milney. What an exciting player you have been to watch. Yuo can be very proud of what you have done wearing our jumper over the years. You will be remembered as one of the greatest small forwards in VFL /AFL history. Can't do ny better than that. If the ball had of bounced correctly in the 2010 GF - Hell you would have been immortalised!!
Tremendous career, well played little fella.

[goyousaints]

Absolute champion,behind only Bartlett and Matthews as a goal kicking small man,survived in starvation corner only,rarely had the luxury to go on ball for some easy touches to take the pressure off.As important as any player in our crack at 2009-10 flags.Voted the most hated player in the league several times but loved by the most respected player in the comp,Lenny Hayes,says it all.Sadly missed,good luck in the future champ.

[battye]

A few sentences is not enough to describe what you've given to the St Kilda Football Club. Thank you so much for so many years of enjoyment and commitment. You fully deserve your place in history as the best forward pocket to play the game.

I'd also like to nominate the posts in viewtopic.php?f=1&t=82605 and viewtopic.php?f=1&t=82637 to be included. A lot of fantastic Milne memories have been posted in there.

PS: 11 goals vs Brisbane, 2005 - simply awesome.

[thefatdork]

Milney, you are one of the greatest players to don the Red, White and Black and I've been privileged to witness you're extraordinary talents and skills.
I'm sure I'll be telling the grandkids in the future of the days... "I saw Milney play"..and all about your amazing feats.
You are a "one-off" and there will never be another "Milney"
All the best.
GO SAINTS!

[Trev from the Bush]

Milney, you really have been the human defibrillator for so many Saints supporters over the past 13 years. Your ability to get our hearts pumping and build our hopes every time you have got your hands on the ball is a measure of your sustained excellence in playing one of the most difficult roles in football. It's no coincidence that the longest sustained period of dominance in the 140 year history of the StKilda Football Club occurred when a player named Stephen Milne ruled the forward line.

Your presence on the field and enthusiasm around the Club will be sorely missed. I look forward to you being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in years to come - the rookie-listed player who went on to play 275 games and boot in excess of 570 goals. Congratulations on an outstanding career!

[oh when the]

your acknowledgement to the cheer squad every game
was special to the squad members.
best of luck for the future

ric

[BakesFan]

Milney,

You are a superstar small forward and a Champion Clubman.

Be very proud of your achievements as a Saints player.

You're an excitement machine on the paddock and your footy career will be remembered fondly by the Saints Faithful.

Best wishes to you in all your future endeavours.

Cheers,
BakesFan

[mr six o'clock]

Great last game stevie !
A champion to the end .
We'll all miss you leading the song in the rooms
lets hope your replacement is half as good .

All the best for the future .

[ando051]

Stephen you have been so loyal to the club and always have a cheery wave for us fans. Thanks for the memories. My family and I will miss you. We wish you all the best for the future. Watching you play always brings excitement to the game. Your a Champion Stephen Milne.

[Kate]

Dear Stephen, Thanks for every thrill. You are a legend

[Buckets]

May retirement be kind to you Sir Milney! I will miss seeing you run amuck in the forward line. You have given us so many good memories. That forward line will not be the same without you in it!

[Austinnn]

I remember watching you play for Essendon reserves in that reserve GF against us so many years ago. After record numbers of goals and hundreds of games, you're retiring.

Aussie Jones was my favourite player until you came to the Saints, then it was you. Dunno who can replace you, maybe nobody. In the darkest era, when we couldn't do anything right, you dragged us through games, and people always talk about the time you snagged 11 past the Lions, but for me it was the many games where you got 4 or 5 when no-one else could score. You were sometimes the only positive to come out of a demoralising loss, and I remember thinking back then, this kid is gonna be special.

But I never knew what a personality you'd become. From cheeky kid to opposition clubs' most hated player, to cult hero/villain you've made yourself famous and infamous throughout the land. I hate Carlton football club, so anyone who upsets them is ok by me. And you really upset them!

I could write for another 6 pages all the memories I have of your games, but I'll keep it to one really early in your career. Against Hawthorn, the ball sailed into our F50 and some massive gorilla in brown and diarrhea (maybe Trent Croad, but I forget) was set to mark it clearly, until our pocket 44 jumped up, despite being about 50cm shorter, marked the ball, then while everyone was shocked and preparing for the set shot, you hit the ground running, turned in a short circle and snapped clean through for a goal. They didn't know your tricks at that stage, I suppose opposition teams spent hours reviewing your tricks and trying to prepare their players. They might have slowed you down, but they could never stop you. There will be 17 happy teams today, but ours will always have a Stephen Milne-shaped hole in that forward pocket, not to mention the post match victory song.

You will go down as a legend of the game, and certainly of the Saints. You gave so much, and I hope you enjoy retirement as much as you clearly enjoyed scoring goals and annoying opposition clubs and their supporters. We love you. Saint for life. Thank you for all the good times.

[True Blue Sainter]

Milney...

You will go down in history as one of the great pure small forwards of VFL/AFL history. Your abiltiy to bring the Saints faithful to their feet, whislt instilling fear into the minds of opposition supporters was unrivalled. Your ability to extract a goal out of almost any situation was just uncanny. You were the heart and soul of this great club and you will always be welcome at St Kilda.

As mentioned above, your goal against Hawthorn in 2001 was one of my favourites. You were leading Luke McCabe to the ball, leapt over Trent Croad whilst snatching the ball from his hands, hit the ground running and pumped the ball through to tie the scores.

Another great memory was that drawn game against Sydney early in 2002. You took 3-4 bounces running down the City side wing, slipped (deliberately?) got up kept running and snapped the goal straight through the big sticks from the boundary... Your celebration running in front of the crowd with your arms aloft wsa unbelievable.

I'll miss your passion...

[Harvey To Hayes]

Thanks for everything Milney, you've been a gun player and even better clubman for a long, long time and we'll miss you immensely. Take care and know that we'll always remember everything that you did for us.
Harvey To Hayes

[rodrocket]

Milney thanks for some incredible memories. You never left us wondering. Hope to see you utilised around the club. I'm sure you'll still be there watching mentoring the younguns. Hope one day your boy dons the colours too. All the best for the future.

[Sainternist]

Thanks Milney. You were a lot of fun to watch on the footy field and you deserved a better bounce. Whenever I see the number 44, it will remind me of the greatest small forward to have ever played for St Kilda FC.

[Megsie]

thanks for the memories Stephen. We will miss you forever.
watching you play made our days at the footy so exciting.
Train Tyson well......we look forward to seeing him run
around in no. 44. one day. enjoy your retirement.

[groupie1]

Only true champions get to go out on their own terms, and you've done that. Thanks for the memories, Milney. You're a gem.

[Hawkesbury Saint]

My son wears 44 on the back of his Saints jumper.
He has a signed series of Milney photos on the wall in his room.
He has played forward pocket for four years now, including two flags.
His coach paid him the ultimate compliment when he said, "Ben 'Stevie Milne' shone up forward slotting three majors in a masterly display."

So proud of all you've done Milney. Proud my son has found a footballing role model in you. You are a CHAMPION, leaving amazing memories and highlights.

[B-rad]

He was really good.

Long live the memories of the Tipper

[saintdooley]

Milney,
you've been my favourite for a long time, its been an honour to watch you play each week and it wont be the same without you.
well done mate!
Dooley

[Bluthy]

A superlative career Stephen. You'll go down as one of the greats. You lit the crowd up like no other player I've seen. Your goal sense was second to none. You can the team and the club so much energy and helped set the club up for the next generation. All the best with the future.

[TJMcCarthy]

Perhaps one of you're greatest achievements (from a fans point of view) is the measure of how much we love you compared with how much the opposition fans can't stand the sight of you. This made every single goal so much sweeter for us.

For all the stunning goals, for all the rub it in their noses celebrations, for your loyal & wonderful contribution to the St.Kilda Football Club and all the long lasting memories there in, my warmest thanks.