Can someone tell me about Plugger’s departure

[skeptic]

I was 10yo at the time and I don’t really know the ins and outs of it.

I remember having just finished read an autobiography he penned about the early part of his career and I have 2 vivid recollections from the book. He spoke about the 1991 finals series and how he felt that and how he genuinely thought that if we’d have gotten over the game v Geelong, we’d go on to win the whole thing.

The other part was the final chapter where he said his heart and soul was with the Saints and that he’d be a one club player.

Like a week after that, it was reported that he was out of here and going to the Swans.

Young me was soooooo heart broken. I hated hated hated him for leaving… always boo’d after (not that I went to many Sydney games) and took pleasure in any failings I could think of. Yes young me took it all too seriously and was a bit of a bad sport.

Adding to the challenges was the reports of the great draft picks we got for him… which whilst I don’t remember the specifics… it wasn’t Aussie Jones and another club great, but rather an average return. And though we improved out of sight in 96 and 97… I think we’ve pbly all thought about what might have happened if Tony Lockett was on that list for the big one in 1997. Pittman wouldn’t have stood 5m in front of Loewe all day… and we all lament the lack of enforcers we had when Adelaide got rough. I tell you what… had they have sunk the knees into Harvey like that near Plugger, he would have sent the first offender to hospital.

What kind of made it worse was that for the period after he left, and to be honest, for a lengthy time post his retirement… it felt to me like we weee persona non grata for Lockett. He didn’t come back to the club, he didn’t speak of us… he kind of seemed like a retired and thankful Sydney great and that’s where his heart was. Don’t get me wrong… I know he was always a fiercely private individual that enjoyed staying out of the spot light but it felt to me like he really stayed away.

I think it was perhaps post the tragedy with Frawley that he kind of started coming back to the mix again a little.

It was great to see him at the 150 years game v Essendon and bloody hell did he look good. Seemed like he was in good enough shape that he could have put the boots on and subbed in late in the game.

Anyone able to fill in some blanks for me?

[ace]

I met a saints family who named their dog "plugger".
I don't know what they did when Lockett left.
Did they kick the dog every Saturday or did they rename the dog.
Lockett certainly broke a lot of hearts when he left.

[ausfatcat]

I was I think 13 or 14 at the time Plugger was my hero and the player that made me barrack for the Saints (was Hawks supporter and was at a footy clinic in the late 80's where they gave everyone photo copied sheets of players signatures Paul Hudson was there from the hawks I wanted him to sign mine separately he said no or ignored me, plugger was next to him and said here let me sign it for you, I was a sainter after that), any way there was talk of Plugger wanting to get out of the media spotlight for the last year or two before he left as he didn't like the spotlight on him outside of playing. In the lead up I remember there all talk about him going to Collingwood but then Sydney came on and grabbed him and gave him the quiet life he wanted. Thats my recollection anyway.

Saints gave:
Lockett and pick 59
and received
Josh Kitchen, Glen Nugent, Robert Neill and Pick 5 (Joel Smith), Pick 13 (Chris Hemley) and pick 48 (Aussie Jones). Btw took Tony Brown at pick 7 with our own pick as well in that draft.

Image having pick 5,7 and 13 in the same draft nowdays!


Heres a article about it
https://www.saints.com.au/news/85730/pl ... reak-trade

[stevie]

The Plugger book you mention was released in 1992. There was no inkling he would leave until during the 1994 season when both the Tigers and Filth were after him. Then somehow he ended up at Shitney. To be honest, while I was sad he left us, it was time for a change for him. I continued to follow his career and love watching him dominate games in a different jersey. I never felt angry with him - he was still in the hearts of most Sainters I reckon.

[perfectionist]

He left for money and another issue. Like almost all the other AFL players, he was a professional footballer. A few stay for "a premiership" rather than the money, but we all know that they receive extra money when they retire, from certain sponsors e.g. Geelong.

As we have all seen recently, Plugger wasn't fit for one second in his career (too fat). He got away with too much because of his skills - unequalled according to Darrel Baldock. Stan wasn't compliant. He thought Plugger should work as hard as anyone else. Plugger didn't like that and left for Sydney. They never won a flag with him in the team. They would argue they got him for other reasons.

[terry smith rules]

Apart from 91 and 92 we were a pretty ordinary team during Plugger with us.

He was an extraordinary footballer. The first 9 games of 1989 he kicked 70 goals ffs.

However I believe him leaving was the best thing for him and for the Saints

St Kilda were able to develop a side that didn’t rely on 1 player and we nearly won a flag 3 years later with a fantastic side

Plugger won because he was not hounded all the time (as we know an intensely private person)

It was also fantastic for Sydney as he got people through the gate, as someone who lived in Sydney and went to see the Swans all the time it was wonderful to watch him up there

BTW my understanding was that he was an asthmatic and could not run a lot, therefore his size

[shanegrambeau]

Great story Ausfatcat.
Love it..

yeah, as a few have mentioned..

a) out of media spotlight was a biggie I seem to remmeber

but I wouldn't discout

b) $$$$$$ tooo...or 'special rewards' after retirement.

I wonder how it works..dread to think, but you can be sure players in demand are offered all kinds of perks post-retirement if they sign.

[Killa]

Tony received many offers, most notably from Collingwood cica 1992 or earlier

There was a Sponsor’s evening hosted by Cleeland where Cleeland made a throw away to Lockett leaving

The room fell silent - Cleeland was unaware (naturally) of the position the Club was in with Tony at that exact time

Tony stayed at St Kilda

But the offers continued to come

Then there was an issue of a player being bigger than the Club, not instigated by Tony it must be said but causing angst at Board level

For his part, Tony (and Vicki) were private people

And maybe happier with his greyhounds on a rural property than in Melbourne (noting his commuting plus Vicki remaining a hairdresser in Bendigo)

Occasional Club functions were attended - by both (and once late arrivals having taken a child they took to the football home ahead of arriving at the function, there being much chatter in pre mobile phones times, but in they walked to audible relief among the audience)

And so playing with Sydney, residing where he did with Vicki (and the greyhounds!!!)

A true “Country boy”, and top people

As to being unfit

Really?

His speed off the mark and his bulk to protect the ball drop were his calling cards and the reason he was the Champion he is

Allowing for the tactics of Sheedy - and the scratch marks on his back

Fair compensation for him?

No

Not by the proverbial country mile

He is a St Kilda Great

And an AFL Great

[Killa]

And asthma, yes

Hence the runs in the ruck to start games to get him moving

[Munga]

I can't remember where I heard it, it might have been Plympton on Unpluggered... but I think the AFL forced Plugger to Sydney. Many clubs sniffing around and throwing offers, but the AFL wouldn't let him move anywhere else but Sydney. Your typical corrupt bastards.

[older saint]

Plugger wanted a change.
Collingwood and Sydney were the main places to go.
McAllister had the casting vote for Collingwood board and voted No

AFL GUARANTEED Pluggers salary in his contract no questions asked. They needed something to help the basket case which was Sydney at that time. Blind eye to the salary cap - Locket , OBrien, Roos, Bayes, Kelly, and still didn't win one hahahaha

[saynta]

Barrassi was in breach of one of the 10 commandments. He coveted Plugger from the day we beat them in Sincity despite Plugger trying to take the head off of that annoying little s*** (now deceased) who sat behind the goals.

Hated the swans ever since. Sat next to Plugger at a footy luncheon , He laughed when I told him I had to change my youngest's name. he did tell me that Banger was the best player he had played with. I was disappointed later when I heard him say the same thing about Swans Kelly.

[Sainternist]

I remember seeing the newspaper headline on that day in 1994. I just felt sick to the stomach. It was high-level hypocrisy when the AFL celebrated him. It was all part of their plan to save bloody Sydney and in the process, they left Fitzroy for dead.

Every time Plugger did something great in a Swines guernsey, I just felt empty. He was my boyhood hero, too

[spert]

I remember an interview wth Nathan Bourke back then, and his discussion with Plugger- it was all about money

[Killa]

I am not sure about a split vote by the Collingwood Board, down to McAllister as President

My knowledge was that Collingwood were putting very significant offers to Tony from at least 1992 and until he signed with Sydney (and the story was the AFL had an agenda)

[Teflon]

I think he left in a taxi..

[shanegrambeau]

I remember seeing the newspaper headline on that day in 1994. I just felt sick to the stomach. It was high-level hypocrisy when the AFL celebrated him. It was all part of their plan to save bloody Sydney and in the process, they left Fitzroy for dead.

Every time Plugger did something great in a Swines guernsey, I just felt empty. He was my boyhood hero, too

Makes you wonder what the AFL will stoop to,
If one day, the Gold Coast are teetering on the brink.

To what lengths will they go, at the expense of St Kilda and North Melbourne
To prop them up?

[1966]

Money was main reason.
Sydney was a good option as he needed to leave Victoria as he was in a lot of trouble with authorities relating to his greyhound breeding.

[saynta]

Money was main reason.
Sydney was a good option as he needed to leave Victoria as he was in a lot of trouble with authorities relating to his greyhound breeding.

At the time I thought that that little see you next tuesday, Mike Sheahan had something to answer for. He hounded Plugger almost weekly posting photos which allegedly showed Plugger hitting people illegally when he didn't. The Caven incident caused Sheahan to wet himself with glee.
I wrote to him at the time but of course the squib didn't reply.

[Winmar]

There's a bit about it in this interview with Andrew Plympton on the Unpluggered podcast

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cH ... HQAAAAAQLA

[1966]

Very luckily for Lockett and Swans the case suddenly went away in 1996 - the year the Swans made the GF.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/four- ... b6aa5af2e0

[Ajantis]

Was all about plugger nearly killing that sydney player and Barassi
Plugger never wanted to goto sydney, but there were situations put to him and dictated what options he had.

[The Fireman]

broke my football heart...I remember getting down to fence amongst the swan fans at Waverley first game against us i think and paid out on Plugger..for one quarter (at the time just thought he left for the money, had no idea of other circumstances)

I was off the chart, had every swan fan telling me to f*** off and I gave it back to everyone in ear shot.
Such was my anger and dismay at his leaving.
I felt so much better getting that off my chest.
These days I'm a little meek and milder

was a massive turning point in how I saw the game after that.

PS saw just about every game he played, was there in Sydney at the "that game" and ran on the grd and patted the big man on the back.

[stevie]

To my last breath I will continue to say that Caven was the cause of his own smashing. He chose to go for the ball without looking. Courageous for sure, but Plugger had no way of not hitting him.

[saynta]

That ex carlton prick collins wanted to charge plugger over kicking the ball low into the swan muppets behind the goals. Pity he missed.

The year before a pig with no 4 painted on its side had be let loose on the ground and those dropkicks behind the goals were giving it to plugger.

He was playing angry and poor Robbie Neale was rag dolled when he tried to tackle plugger. Caven just got in his way.

Barrassi said some dreadful things about plugger which were reported in the papers in the following days.

IMHO he should never have gone to the swans who are still trying to steal saints players to this day.