There's nothing quite like being a St Kilda supporter.
I've been one for 41 very long years. I grew up on the outer wing at Moorabbin - it's in my DNA, even spending part of my wedding day there! These days, I co-host a show about the Saints called “Unpluggered” - check it out on YouTube or Podcast platforms if you're so inclined.
We've all heard the jokes and taunts before … can't swim between the flags because we only have one. Record wooden spoons. Financial ruin. We get it. I promise you, nobody knows failure like we do.
Despite the failures, we also have a loyalty like no other. A passion not bound by success, but by eternal hope. Hope brought on about by people, and by singular moments like Goddard's soaring Grand Final mark. Centurion Plugger's fists-in-the-air celebration. Harvey on his haunches. Riewoldt running back with the flight.
So while never having the team success of (nearly) every other V/AFL team, the Saints have been jam-packed with individual talent, and when building a Top-10 list of St Kilda players of my lifetime, it is tougher than you would imagine - but let's give it a go.
Before we start, there's a heap of honourable mentions. I know he should be on this list, but I only saw the tail end of Trevor Barker's storied career, and, albeit live and in the flesh, I was a baby. So, it's hard for me to keep him in my personal top 10.
If we'd won the 2010 Grand Final, Brendon Goddard is a lock for this list. One of the all-time great St Kilda moments probably becomes the all-time V/AFL moment... if the Saints get up, instead of again snatching defeat (or in this case a draw) from the jaws of victory. Likewise Nick Dal Santo, who was at the heart of most things good on the bayside during the second most successful period of Saints Footy.
Max Hudghton, heart and soul. Spida Everitt, unique, authentic, quality. The scintillating Aussie Jones. There's plenty more.
So, without further ado, here's my Top-10 Saints of the last 40-ish years.
4Danny Frawley
'Spud's contribution and connection to the St Kilda Football Club goes beyond statistics and metrics, defined by a relentless commitment to the jumper he adored.
The backbone of the club for over a decade, the (now) second-longest-serving captain helped instill belief and resilience in a group that would form the foundation for future (near) success.
Rarely beaten as a full back - and known for his toughness, physicality and willingness to take on the opposition's best forwards - Danny Frawley set the tone for the team with his competitive edge and leadership.
He was named in the All Australian team and won the club Best and Fairest winner in just his third season (1988), with legendary forwards of the era, Jason Dunstall and Gary Ablett Sr, both positioning Frawley as one of the toughest defenders to play on, which just about says it all.
A legacy that continues at the Saints despite his tragic passing in 2019, the Danny Frawley Centre at Moorabbin immortalises the St Kilda champ, who was also a passionate advocate for mental health.
