)Given how much Milney has clearly meant to us all, I thought I would post my tribute to Milne that I wrote at the end of last year. Milney was my hero and his retirement is quite simply the end of an era, football just won't be the same without the little bloke running around.
Stephen Milne – the Fan’s Perspective
I have followed the Saints for as long as I can remember, from the good old Waverley days when a Footy Record cost $2.00 and the Brisbane Bears still existed. I have seen my fair share of St.Kilda stars, with the likes of Tony Lockett, Nicky Winmar and Robert Harvey to name a few. I have also seen plenty of highs and lows and will always be thankful that being born in 1990 prevented me from living through what I now know as the horrors of the 80’s. It was perhaps in the early 2000s that my love of the Saints really grew. We were by no means a successful side, quite the opposite, but there were promising signs with new talent arriving at the club. Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke, the number 1 and 2 draft picks of 2000 would have had any Saint excited, yet it was our pint sized rookie that got my adrenalin pumping like no other.
Stephen Milne came to the Saints from the Bombers’ Reserves side, having played an eye catching Grand Final ironically against the Saints the year before. He wasn’t your typical ideal footballer; he certainly didn’t have the height or bulk. If there was anything that stood out in terms of skill, it was his immaculate goal sense and agility, a combination that proved deadly up forward. I remember watching a number of games in those early 2000s when there was never much to cheer about, that was unless of course Milne was in any close vicinity of the football. He dodged opponents, fell to the ground, bounced back to his feet in a matter of milliseconds and snapped the impossible goal. Commentators referred to him as ‘the man with dancing feet’. His evasive ability was like nothing I had seen. My interest in our short forward pocket grew rapidly and I spent majority of our games watching Milne at work, I was even intrigued when he didn’t have the ball. He always seemed to get himself in the right position, which no doubt frustrated Riewoldt who would often stumble over the top of him as he went for marks. Throughout the years Milney seemed to develop a sense of not only where the footy was going, but also where our superstar Half Forward was going to be. He had a knack of blocking out opponents and creating a clear path for ‘Roo’ and positioning himself perfectly for the spillage. I dare say he would have even more goals to his name if Riewoldt hadn’t been such a great mark, preventing Milney of those much loved crumbing opportunities.
Milne started his career out at the Saints predominately as our Full Forward, an unlikely position for a player who stood 176cm tall. Milne’s height, or lack of it, didn’t seem to have any effect on his ability to rake havoc on the opposition and in just his second year he topped our Goal kicking with 50 for the year. As a fan I loved the way Milne went about his footy. He tormented his opponents by dodging, side stepping and baulking them, not to mention playing on unexpectedly after taking a mark inside 50. Milne also loved to talk, he didn’t get the nickname “Yapper” for nothing and I remember watching him during a match against the Lions where he spent majority of the game in a verbal battle with Robert Copeland.
After winning the Most Improved player award at the end of the 2002 season, Milne started 2003 off on fire. He kicked 9 goals in 2 games and looked set for another big year. A heated match against a young Geelong side who were similar to us in many respects would prove crucial. It was a tough contest with both teams fiery and playing for bragging rights as the team of the future. The match was an important game for our players and I recall Milney delivering his best goal celebration possibly of his career. Yes, if there was one other thing that made me love Milne like no other player, it was the way he got the adrenalin pumping with his passionate fist pumps after a goal. This time, he brought out the chain saw which had me screaming at the top of my lungs, (it also had me re-enacting his move around the house and at school, much to the concern of my fellow class mates). Unfortunately Milne got suspended for 2 weeks for an elbow to Scarlett, and I distinctly recall feeling sick to the stomach when the sports news reported Milne had been rubbed out. Milne seemed to be a bit on edge on his return and I believe the suspension played a part in what was a disappointing year after such a promising start. After being suspended for a second time in Round 17 for a hit on McLeod (that was dubious might I add), Milne was given another week on the sidelines but failed to return to the side for the remainder of the year. It was the same game against Geelong that I had my first altercation with an opposition supporter. A man sitting behind me had abused Milne all game, calling him a joke and an embarrassment. Just as he completed his 12th spray a Geelong player missed an absolute sitter in the middle of the ground. “Now who’s the embarrassment?” I shouted to which I received no reply, in fact he remained quiet after that. I admit I must have enjoyed the moment as I have been vocal and a bit of a nut to put it lightly ever since. It comes with the territory of going for the Saints, and wearing 44 on the back of the Guernsey always ignites a bit of banter from the opposition.
It wasn’t long before Milne was one of the most hated players in the AFL, he got under the skin of opponents with his tricky goals, over the top celebrations and ‘in-your-face’ attitude. These traits thrilled me to the extent of watching Saints replays just to re-live his energetic celebrations and miraculous goals. I even made sure Nan taped the end of the games just so I could see him belt out the Saints song. I loved everything about the red, white and black and Milne only added to what soon became an obsession. While the girls in my class filled their diaries with pictures of Jesse McCartney and Chad Michael-Murray, mine was covered with newspaper clippings of the Saints. The photos soon made their way into scrap books of which I have 5. The scrap books weren’t enough though; they were put away where no one could see them. I solved this problem by blu-tacking my favourite articles and photos to my bedroom walls. Over the years I filled all four walls until you could barely see what colour they were painted.
The end of the football season was always depressing, but it was the beginning of the end that would fast become my most dreaded part of the year – trade week. Milne’s name always seemed to get thrown up in the media as our possible trade bait and it resulted in many sleepless nights and time wasted surfing the latest AFL stories to assure myself he hadn’t been traded. I will never forget the 2003 season where my older brother Dave played a nasty trick, creating a duplicate false AFL site that stated Milne had been traded to Carlton. I ran to my room in a state, taking the posters off my wall one by one when Dave followed me in a stitch laughing his head off screaming “I’m joking, I’m joking, I made it up!” I should have been angry, but I could only feel a sense of relief as I realized Milne was still a Saint. This feeling was finally established for good when it was announced Milne had been signed with St.Kilda for a further three years. I celebrated by getting the number 44 sewn on to my Guernsey.
It’s not often a kid gets to meet their hero, but I did. I remember travelling to Moorabbin to meet Milne for the first time; mum had taken me during the pre-season in December to get my much loved Guernsey signed. I remember running out on the ground with fellow Saints supporters as Milne snapped goal after goal as the training session concluded. He had about 20 balls lined up in the forward 50 and would gather them up and snap them one by one. I can still remember him signing the number, as spent as he was from kicking 50 balls in 50 seconds, he still managed to say thanks and I left the oval with butterflies.
Mum and I managed to make it to our fair share of training sessions over the years. My early years in High School were nothing to write home about, and our trips to Moorabbin to see the boys in action were probably what got me through. Nothing could make my day like seeing my hero face to face and what was even better was the fact that he was always up for a chat. I must have asked for 30 autographs over the years but not once has Milne treated me like a nuisance, in fact he’s always been highly approachable.
Milne has had a lot of moments of brilliance, right when we needed a spark or a lift he’d bob up for that inspiring moment of magic just as we were looking like lacking the momentum. I’ve seen him win many games off his own boot, but if he’s not the one kicking the goal you can often see him (and more often than not hear him!) shouting encouragement to the boys and trying to get them to lift. As a regular spectator at training it wasn’t hard to recognize Milne’s passion for the club. He was always up and about and in good spirits and it seemed to rub off on the rest of the team. I used to love watching him get amongst it, not only did he work hard but he was always having a laugh. It became clear to me that Stephen Milne loved the St.Kilda Football Club. You didn’t exactly have to be Einstein to figure it out, over the years many people I have known who have connections with the club have always raved about Milne’s attitude and his love for the club; he exemplified the term ‘clubman’.
It used to annoy me in Milne’s early days when commentators would label him as hungry and selfish, despite the fact that he always ranked high on our goal-assists table and as a small forward, had to make the most of every opportunity he was given. What frustrated me even more was the fact that many, including our own coach, stated that he couldn’t perform interstate. I remember howling abuse at the TV while watching many games at Subiaco, the SCG, AAMI etc. “How do you expect him to perform interstate if you have him sitting on the pine!?” I used to shout. Throughout the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons my frustrations were pushed further by our coach Grant Thomas. He seemed to bench Milne every time he ran the wrong way or made any slight error. I couldn’t help but question how he could expect him to improve when he was never given the chance to redeem any of his ‘mistakes’.
The Saints made the finals for the first time in 7 years in 2004 – we faced Brisbane in a Qualifying final at the GABBA. Milne wasn’t named for the game and we lost by 80 odd points. I was hoping it would prove to Thomas that it wasn’t just Milne who wasn’t performing interstate. He was named the following week for a Semi Final clash against the Swans at the MCG. It was my first Finals game I had attended, it poured with rain, Milne kicked 4 goals and we won. It was amazing. It was one of the most memorable games I have been to, the players stood up in a must-win game and we were through to a Preliminary Final. Those two weeks provided the ultimate high and low moments in football. I remember feeling so elated and excited after the Semi Final victory, only to have it all come crashing down as I watched Harvey crouched on the ground as the Siren sounded at AAMI stadium. We had missed out on a Grand Final by one straight kick. Of course the stats of that game will show Milne had little impact, I’d still like to see the stats for minutes spent on the ground. I still think it’s a hard ask for a player to step up in a big game when he knows his own coach has little faith. It’s not exactly a confidence booster and Milne was a confidence player. If he was on, not much could stop him.
One game Milne turned it on like no other. He had the ball on a string, a purple patch that lasted 120 minutes. It was the Round 22 clash against the Lions in 2005. It was a game I’ll never forget, which would be hard considering I have the game on DVD. He was incredible; he kicked snaps, bouncing goals, crumbing goals, set shots, shots from tough angles. He even pinged Michael Voss holding the ball. It was Milne’s night. He kicked 11 straight goals and as his 10th sailed over the goal umpire’s head the crowd began chanting his name. I was in my element shouting my hero’s name with 30,000 other fans. I felt on top of the world just wearing the number 44, I imagine Milne himself would have felt pretty invincible. Oddly enough I found out later that Grant Thomas wanted to drop Milne the very following week for our Qualifying Final against the Crows at AAMI. I couldn’t believe this guy, talk about a self esteem boost, I don’t think.
Milne had a stellar year in 2005, kicking 61 goals and establishing himself as one of the game’s best small forwards. It puzzled me that in 2006 Thomas pushed Milne up to the midfield. Now I understand players need to develop more strings to their bow, but Milne had played so well as a small forward that I didn’t see the necessity of rotating him through the midfield. As it turned out, Thomas had been trying to increase Milne’s trade value and as the 2006 trade period approached, Milne’s name was put on the table for real. I had a number of sleepless nights as I contemplated Milne in an opposition jumper. Essendon had shown interest and were looking at a straight swap – Jason Johnson for Stephen Milne. The thought made me sick to the stomach and it looked like the swap would be made. Then, the best thing happened.
I was at home, naturally looking up the latest trade news, when mum phoned. “Turn on the radio” she said and pretty much hung up. Confused, I turned it on to hear “Grant Thomas has been sacked”. I felt like jumping for joy, could this mean Milne wouldn’t be traded? I listened further to what was pretty unexpected news. I didn’t really understand it much, but at that moment, I didn’t really care. All it meant was that Stephen Milne was a chance to stay a Saint.
We announced a new coach not long after, Ross Lyon, an assistant from the Swans. As Ross came on board one of the very first things he did was take Milne straight off the trade table and sign him up on a new contract. I wanted to hug him. Mum and I attended our first open training session with Ross at the helm; I simply had to thank him for saving Milney’s career at the Saints. As Ross walked off the ground I shouted out to him, he turned and looked at me but I was completely speechless. After all, what do you say to the guy who’s just saved your favourite players’ career? A simple ‘thanks’ would have sufficed, but words at that time couldn’t describe my gratitude, little did he know he was responsible for the end of my sleepless nights.
Lyon showed a lot of faith in Milne, it didn’t take long for me to realize this, for one he started him on the ground and didn’t bench him every 5 minutes. Lyon’s faith paid off as Milne improved and became a more rounded player. He developed a better defensive side to his game and was more consistent. He started performing well interstate too; funny what a little bit of faith can do. Milne played like he was full of confidence, like he wasn’t worried about making an error, almost like a monkey had been moved off his back. My two favourite games Milne has played interstate are both matches against Fremantle, the first being in 2008. As the little man, Milne stood tall and kicked 3 team-lifting goals. What was more inspiring was the fact he received a heavy hit to the face but played on and was vital in the victory. He wasn’t able to fly back to Melbourne and made his way back by car. He played the following week against the Crows. The other stand out game was his 200th – his one and only milestone game that I have missed. He was again brilliant, kicking 4 goals and leading the team to a hard fought win.
Over the years not many people have understood my love of the Saints and the choice of Milne as my favourite player. I remember one friend asking why I liked him so much, to which I couldn’t really find a straight forward answer. Fortunately Milne was able to provide one, as my friend, a few other mates and I attended a Saints vs Tigers game at the Dome. It became a shoot out between Matthew Richardson and Stephen Milne, in which Richo kicked 6 goals and Milne kicked 7. Milne kicked the last goal which would eventually be the match winner. I didn’t have to say anything to my friend, I just pointed to the ground after the game. “That’s why he’s my favourite player” I said simply. He had been unreal.
The Saints were up and down throughout the first half of the 2008 season, and subsequently Milne and Nick Dal Santo were dropped which sent a message to the playing group that mediocrity wouldn’t be accepted. As a fanatic (crazy to most) fan I travelled to Coburg to Watch Milne and Dal Santo play in the two’s against the Tigers. My brother’s friend was playing for Coburg so I used that as a bit of an excuse to head down and watch. Milne was a cut above the rest, he was always in the play and finished with a lazy 4 goals. His dominance led to what is one of my most embarrassing moments. Thrilled with the way he’d gone about it, I headed out on the ground once the siren sounded, ready to praise him for his efforts. I raced to the middle of the oval as the players headed off, shouting my encouragement, only to turn around and realize I was the only nut who had bothered to enter the field. I ran back red faced while realizing how ridiculous I must have looked; after all, it was just a reserves game.
The highlight of the 2008 season was knocking Collingwood out of the Finals. We had snuck in to the top 4 after blitzing the Bombers in the final round of the season. We got smacked by the Cats in the first week of finals, but as we had a second chance, faced off against the Pies in a Semi Final. We dominated and sent them packing; there was nothing better than waving goodbye to the flock of Collingwood supporters who had given us grief for many years. I was happy too, that Milne had played his part in a final – kicking 3 goals and hopefully silencing a few knockers. Unfortunately we weren’t good enough for the Hawks who were the eventual Premiers.
Since 1997, I have always dreamed of watching the Saints play off in another Grand Final. If any year was going to be the year, it was 2009. We were incredible, dominating game after game and finishing the year on top. As the siren sounded against the Bulldogs, my heart raced as I realized we were one step away from that ultimate fantasy. As good as we were in 2009, Geelong were never far behind and had also had a great season. It was going to be no easy task. We got our Grand Final tickets and I was nervous all week, envisioning the boys standing on the podium with their medals and cup. As a Saints supporter I never go into any game confident, but I thought if we got going early we would be hard to stop. As the game unfolded we missed a number of easy shots, particularly from players who would normally kick them. I remember saying to mum “these chances are going to cost us, just like they cost Geelong last year”. Never had I wanted to be more wrong. Sadly though, I was 100% right. The Cats stole our moment in the final stages of the last quarter and as devastated as I was I was just completely gutted at the fact we had had our moments, but hadn’t capitalized. It was probably the first time in my life that I had been angry at the players and even at Milne who had missed gettable shots. It wasn’t until I heard a news report that commented on the state Milne had been in in the rooms after the game that I gained a bit of perspective. As a supporter I could look on with disappointment, yet it was the players who would have to re-live those moments and contemplate what could have been for the rest of their lives. I don’t really know how you get over that, I suppose you don’t.
We had our chance for redemption the very next year, though I admit I was far from confident. Collingwood had been the dominant side all year and we were going to need a bit of luck and the boys to put in a 110% effort to even be a chance. The last quarter was something else. Our boys gave their all and for a split second I thought “we’ve got this”. Goddard took a spectacular mark and we were closing in. Our unique game is the best in the world, but our oddly shaped football was going to kill us. I watched with anticipation as Hayes belted the ball inside fifty, I was on the edge of my seat – it looked like my ultimate fantasy was going to come true – Milne would kick the match winner against the enemy in Collingwood and we would win the Grand Final. It just wasn’t to be. The ball bounced unexpectedly on an angle and went through the behinds. There was still about 90 seconds which meant either team still could have scored, but it really felt like that was the moment. The siren to conclude a draw was the strangest feeling I have ever felt. The whole stadium was absolutely silent. Some of us didn’t even know what it meant, would there be extra time? A replay of the match next week wasn’t good news for the Saints. I had watched the boys play their absolute hearts out and it hadn’t been quite enough. I just didn’t know how they could get themselves up from that. How do you play out of your skin, give everything you’ve got, only to be told you’ve got to do it all again the very next week? It was different for Collingwood who had in some ways been handed a ‘get out of jail free’ card – they would have seen it as a second chance, whereas for us, that first Grand Final, that was it.
I have loved keeping track of Milne’s stats over the years. I’ve always kept a goal tally inside my head each week, how many he’s kicked, how many I think he’ll kick, how many he’ll set up. I’m always the first at games to point out “He’s got 4 to go ‘til 500”, “3 to go until 50 for the year”, I’m sure no one cares, but I like to make it clear what a career he has had. As he heads towards the final stages of his football, he is finally receiving accolades from commentators who have knocked him for so long. He was also named All-Australian last year, a long time coming. For me, he is the best small forward I have seen play the game. It’s pretty rare for a player to play 250 games as a forward pocket, most players in that position find themselves either adapting and becoming a part-time midfielder, or else they simply die out. Not Milne though. He has excelled as a forward pocket and played it to perfection. He has averaged over 2 goals a game over his career. That stat is remarkable. I’m sure as Milne made it on to the rookie list, not many would have said he would play over 250 games and kick over 500 goals. I’ve watched Milne over those 250 games like I’ve watched no other player. The game has changed a lot in that time and still Milne has adapted and has really improved each year. He’s been like no other. He cops it from the media, opposition and has had a lot to deal with over the years, but he keeps on keeping on and continues to be the best at what he does. As a fan he has thrilled me with his immaculate goal sense, freakish ability, team-lifting spirit and passion he brings to the game. I dread the day he gets lifted on our players’ shoulders as he hangs up the boots. Because I know, there will never be another Stephen Milne.
Come on Milney! 