Jumper

[st.byron]

standing behind the goals at the Frankston end, get the whiff of a comeback and the stand behind you would really get rocking. remember the kids in the cheer squad standing up on the wooden seats behind the goals and jumping up and down on them. I remember some great games where we really surprised some teams. My favourite years at Moorabbin were 1978, 1987 because we were finally competitive again, and 1990 when we started to beat sides we hadn't beaten in years like Hawthorn.
Oh, and in the very late 1970s when the old man would buy me a Lucky Burger if I whinged long enough. Moorabbin and that stretch of the Nepean hwy, South Rd and surrounds has lost it's mojo now.

I was pretty young but I still remember the crowds rolling in down the skinny little suburban streets and the slightly sick in you guts nerves as you rocked up dragged along in the crowds. It was cold, wet and uncomfortable but it had some serious atmosphere. I remember going along to buy merchandise in 1997 and meeting Barry Hall in the car park in his hot rod HR holden, a family friend who worked in the beer caravan near the main gate who would hand me cans for about 50cents and the sore calves from standing on your toes for hours straight.

Great post Gringo. All those little details that made the footy a great ritual. I can still clearly remember the smell of the men's dunnies at Moorabbin. Standing on cans. Used to balance on my bike helmet once I got my licence. The whole ritual of the day. Packing my bag, the train, walking along to the ground, buying a record, watching the scores from the other games at the end of each quarter - and the never ending optimism that we would - in most cases as underdog - cause an upset.

Used to go to the Saints on Saturday and Waverley in the VFA on a Sunday. I remember standing around the 3/4 time huddle in the VFA getting up close to the players and listening to the coach. Can clearly remember Lance Styles the Waverley ruckman, chain smoking two fags at 3/4 time as he listened to the coach.

[SaintPav]

You're a <edited by mods> dooley.

PULL YOUR HEAD IN AND SHOW SOME RESPECT.

BTW. Good to see that you got rid of your sig that associated you to the club or the cheer squad.

Did I mention that you're one frustrated cheese <edited by mods>.



<warning issued for abuse and swearing>

[Dave McNamara]

Used to go to the Saints on Saturday and Waverley in the VFA on a Sunday. I remember standing around the 3/4 time huddle in the VFA getting up close to the players and listening to the coach. Can clearly remember Lance Styles the Waverley ruckman, chain smoking two fags at 3/4 time as he listened to the coach.

Go the mighty Panthers!

Huge following out in the area back in the day.

[saintdooley]

You're a pimple faced holy fool dooley.

PULL YOUR HEAD IN AND SHOW SOME RESPECT.

BTW. Good to see that you got rid of your sig that associated you to the club or the cheer squad.

Did I mention that you're one frustrated cheese d!ck.

Show some respect?
"Cheese dick"
"soft c@ck. "

After names like that I can't take you seriously, and wouldn't respect you even if my life depended on it.

[loris]

Waking up on a Saturday morning, and despite knowing we would probably lose by 10 goals, traveling across town to stand in the rain all day and support the team. Queuing at half time to stand jostling shoulder to shoulder at a urinal that stunk of piss and beer. Being surrounded by ferals at Vic Park, the Western Oval, Princess Park etc. that wanted to kill you because you were supporting your team, staying until the final siren, then navigating back through the often brawling ferals to go all the way home again, drenched and freezing, and knowing that we wouldn't be on the footy replay.
Then getting up next Saturday morning and doing it all again.




HTB has nailed that passion and tribalism were at the core of the game. If you've never known it, you couldn't understand. it was tribal. And you wore your jumper, scarf and beanie as part of a tribe. Same thing happens today, but it doesn't have the guts and substance it did then. The AFL and commercialism has homogenised it and there aint no going back.

And st Byron, the jumpers, scarves, beanies weren't cheap synthetic crap made in some sweat shop in China were they? Moreoften, they were knitted from Australian wool, and the knitting of scarves and beanies, were often lovingly knit by the supporter themselves, or by their mum, grannie or girlfriend.

I can remember chatting to 'Son of 66' when I was sitting next to him on the Moorabbin Wing one match a couple of years ago. I was having a chide at him about his grotty old scarf he was wearing. Sonof66 was so proud of that scarf......... he taught himself to knit as a young kiddie, and that beloved scarf of his was the result............ a rather now grubby but lovely woollen Saints scarf that proudly showed his allegiance for a team when he stood amongst hostile supporters at those uninviting grounds that HTB mentions.

It's sad that 'Sonof66' doesn't post on this site anymore.

Many posters on here won't know of Sonof66 and how he was the making of a modern bit of tradition and history for Saint supporters who have only joined in since we started playing at Ethihad Stadium. Steve was the instigator of the Moorabbin Wing at Ethihad, he got the groundswell going to agitate for a spot of our own for home games. He pestered the Club, until they couldn't ignore the mob he got from this site sitting up there. Then the Club got behind the Moorabbin Wing. The rest is history.

So, newbies, if you sit up there for matches and enjoy the tribalism of sitting with a group of Sainters who are loud and proud......... thank Sonof66, he grew out of the wonderful tribalism of the era HTB is talking about.................

Dooley never mock history, even if it is built on a lack of success/ disasters. It is OUR history.

[joffaboy]

Loris

Steve and Benny still lead the Saints chanting up on the MW, you will be happy to know.

Saint66au has taken over the hard slog of the MW and arranges tickets etc for many grateful folk up there.

But Steve and Benny were the initial instigators.

Good blokes and passionate Sainters.

[SaintPav]

You're a pimple faced holy fool dooley.

PULL YOUR HEAD IN AND SHOW SOME RESPECT.

BTW. Good to see that you got rid of your sig that associated you to the club or the cheer squad.

Did I mention that you're one frustrated cheese d!ck.

Show some respect?
"Cheese dick"
"soft c@ck. "

After names like that I can't take you seriously, and wouldn't respect you even if my life depended on it.

So it's true then!

[stevie]

It's ironic that I never went to a game at Moorabbin!

Grew up in Kyabram up near Shepp and started barracking for the Saints in about 1969/70. Not sure why - my old man is a Tiger ( he played with Dick Clay for Ky), my brother followed Fitzroy.

Anyway, I followed the boys all through the 70's. We used to go to Melbourne a couple of times a year and see a game but it was always at the G or Princes Park. Of course I would see the Saints on TV sometimes and read about the Moorabbin experience, lol.

I left home in 1981 and have lived up here in Qld ever since. So I have never actually been to Moorabbin! My mum went to the office there in 2001 to buy the Team of the Century painitng for my up coming 40th. It still has pride of olace on the wall in the back room!

I loved watching the Heathens vid when it was posted here by mcadam last year. Wanna see it again! Lol

[st.byron]

And st Byron, the jumpers, scarves, beanies weren't cheap synthetic crap made in some sweat shop in China were they? Moreoften, they were knitted from Australian wool, and the knitting of scarves and beanies, were often lovingly knit by the supporter themselves, or by their mum, grannie or girlfriend.

Yes indeed. Me in the kitchen in Glen Waverley in about 1968 with my pure wool jumper and socks on. Looks pretty grubby. Must have been having a game out in the next door paddock with my brother and some other little fellas. Gotta love the wallpaper.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

Exactly what memories does it bring back?

Sooooooo glad that you asked Dools'...

Waking up on a Saturday morning, and despite knowing we would probably lose by 10 goals, traveling across town to stand in the rain all day and support the team. Queuing at half time to stand jostling shoulder to shoulder at a urinal that stunk of piss and beer. Being surrounded by ferals at Vic Park, the Western Oval, Princess Park etc. that wanted to kill you because you were supporting your team, staying until the final siren, then navigating back through the often brawling ferals to go all the way home again, drenched and freezing, and knowing that we wouldn't be on the footy replay.
Then getting up next Saturday morning and doing it all again.

Footy was tribal back then. Standing in the same spot. Seeing the same faces.

I feel sorry for those that never experienced Moorabbin when the stand was rocking. Shivers up the spine stuff.

I'm not surprised you don't understand.

That is what the competition was built on.

Those who do understand what HTB has so eloquently encapsulated, understand why the St Kilda Football Club is such a special and sacred institution.

This is one of the truly great posts to have graced Saintsational. Thank-you HTB.

Not getting so carried away myself with 'one of the truly great posts', but HTB has nailed that passion and tribalism were at the core of the game. If you've never known it, you couldn't understand. But travelling to Windy Hill, Vic Park, Princes Park, Western Oval, bloody Glenferrie, the train to Geelong - it was tribal. And you wore your jumper, scarf and beanie as part of a tribe. Same thing happens today, but it doesn't have the guts and substance it did then. The AFL and commercialism has homogenised it and there aint no going back.
And standing around from or behind the goals at Moorabbin, in the outer, on the terraces with everyone else. That was the place where the tribalism of being a Saint was strongest. There or in the Animal Enclosure.

+1

Here, Here! I am old enough to remember all of those days during the 80s going out to all of these suburban grounds every week, but It's just want you did?
If we had a win it was a bonus and I am actually happy that I went through that because you really appreciate the last decade without a flag mind you, but this period we are going through now will be a breeze compared to what happened back then! We won 4 wooden spoons in a row, imagine if we got 4 number one draft picks in a row? I guess what I'm saying is that is what has made us strong and the fact that we are still around in spite of all of that is something to be proud of. When we win the 2nd flag it will be the best thing we have all ever experienced, but If we don't I am still really proud to call myself a St. Kilda supporter/member!

[Cairnsman]

And st Byron, the jumpers, scarves, beanies weren't cheap synthetic crap made in some sweat shop in China were they? Moreoften, they were knitted from Australian wool, and the knitting of scarves and beanies, were often lovingly knit by the supporter themselves, or by their mum, grannie or girlfriend.

Yes indeed. Me in the kitchen in Glen Waverley in about 1968 with my pure wool jumper and socks on. Looks pretty grubby. Must have been having a game out in the next door paddock with my brother and some other little fellas. Gotta love the wallpaper.

That jumper looks almost identical to the one my Nanna knitted for me back in the 70s. The promise of knitting me a jumper was how she suckered me into following the Saints. To be honest it was probably a no brainer seeing as though we lived just around the corner from the ground and a fair few members of my family followed the Saints, I remember my uncles putting up a fair argument as well...follow the Saints OR ELSE!

[st.byron]

And st Byron, the jumpers, scarves, beanies weren't cheap synthetic crap made in some sweat shop in China were they? Moreoften, they were knitted from Australian wool, and the knitting of scarves and beanies, were often lovingly knit by the supporter themselves, or by their mum, grannie or girlfriend.

Yes indeed. Me in the kitchen in Glen Waverley in about 1968 with my pure wool jumper and socks on. Looks pretty grubby. Must have been having a game out in the next door paddock with my brother and some other little fellas. Gotta love the wallpaper.

That jumper looks almost identical to the one my Nanna knitted for me back in the 70s. The promise of knitting me a jumper was how she suckered me into following the Saints. To be honest it was probably a no brainer seeing as though we lived just around the corner from the ground and a fair few members of my family followed the Saints, I remember my uncles putting up a fair argument as well...follow the Saints OR ELSE!

Don't know if my Mum knitted it for me. Doubt it. Probably bought it at Thorold Merrett Sportsworld in Glen Waverley. Would have had #3 on the back. Same for me in my family. It wasn't a choice to follow the Saints. You just did.

[SainterK]

Thanks for sharing, yes love the wallpaper

[Solar]

Love the passion, the history... thanks guys.

I actually like the jumper. Has history to it and is different.

[gringo]

We have a kid at our footy club in under 9s who gets around in his dads hand knitted super tight saints jumper. He's got Tommy Alvin hair to go the full image and plays good enough to carry it.

[oldie60]

Still have my my woollen jumper my auntie bought me in 1972.The best years of my life having lived in the Northern suburbs and travelling by train getting to every game. Great fun and banter with opposition supporters on the trains. Still vividly remember leaving home at 8:00am to catch the train to Flinders st then train to Glen Waverly with a Ventura bus ride to the ground from the station.On those days i would'nt get home until 7 or 8 that night. At 13 years of age never once did i get hassled. Its a shame my kids don't get to experience what we used to do to support our club even when we lost.

[Jacks Back]

Still have my my woollen jumper my auntie bought me in 1972.The best years of my life having lived in the Northern suburbs and travelling by train getting to every game. Great fun and banter with opposition supporters on the trains. Still vividly remember leaving home at 8:00am to catch the train to Flinders st then train to Glen Waverly with a Ventura bus ride to the ground from the station.On those days i would'nt get home until 7 or 8 that night. At 13 years of age never once did i get hassled. Its a shame my kids don't get to experience what we used to do to support our club even when we lost.

No wonder you got home that time of night. The Moorabbin station would have been a bit closer.

[saintspremiers]

Still have my my woollen jumper my auntie bought me in 1972.The best years of my life having lived in the Northern suburbs and travelling by train getting to every game. Great fun and banter with opposition supporters on the trains. Still vividly remember leaving home at 8:00am to catch the train to Flinders st then train to Glen Waverly with a Ventura bus ride to the ground from the station.On those days i would'nt get home until 7 or 8 that night. At 13 years of age never once did i get hassled. Its a shame my kids don't get to experience what we used to do to support our club even when we lost.

No wonder you got home that time of night. The Moorabbin station would have been a bit closer.

Yes but maybe you could score more easily at Mt. Waverley than Moorabbin back in 72

[Dis Believer]

+1

Here, Here! I am old enough to remember all of those days during the 80s going out to all of these suburban grounds every week, but It's just want you did?
If we had a win it was a bonus and I am actually happy that I went through that because you really appreciate the last decade without a flag mind you, but this period we are going through now will be a breeze compared to what happened back then! We won 4 wooden spoons in a row, imagine if we got 4 number one draft picks in a row? I guess what I'm saying is that is what has made us strong and the fact that we are still around in spite of all of that is something to be proud of. When we win the 2nd flag it will be the best thing we have all ever experienced, but If we don't I am still really proud to call myself a St. Kilda supporter/member!

+1. Truly strong character is not built during periods of success and plenty, it is forged in the furnace of adversity. Those who will fight hardest for the club are those that have endured the hard times.

[Furphy]

By memory, back in the 70's and 80's we used the stick figure on a lot of our marketing, especially "The Saint" magazine. I'm not sure what year it was we had to remove it, but GO is right it was because of a copyright issue.

Here's examples I found;

Wow, pup will be 60 this year & they are roasting Barry Breen! Cannibalism was all the rage in the early 80's?