On this day, 31 August, 1997.

[ctqs]

We finished minor premiers after beating Port Adelaide over there in a game which saw Lazar Vidovic do his knee. I must say though I was still gobsmacked at the news from Paris a few hours before about the death of Princess Diana.

[Beno88]

I struggle to remember minor premierships fondly. Every time we've won the minor premiership, we've lost the Grand Final. 1965, 1997, 2009.

[saint64]

I remember it well. I was almost running out of petrol in the bush in my 4WD between Cervantes and Lancelin, listening to the footy and Paris news. Not to mention Mother Theresa dying just a couple of days earlier!

[saintspremiers]

I was in Seattle when the Lady Died

[stevie]

I had just got back from a 5 month backpack around the globe on Wed 27th. Very surreal the next weekend with the Sts finishing on top and Diana getting killed.

I often wonder if I jinxed the boys by coming back to Australia as I was gone all footy season lol

[kosifantutti]

Where were you the day Lazar played his last game?

[evertonfc]

Had an all-nighter at a party and came home to sleep it off.

When I woke up, Diana was dead, the Saints were playing for top spot and nothing was quite the same.

[Toy Saint]

I was driving home from Torquay, thought there was a footy game on the radio. The news flash only said that Dianna had been involved in a car crash in paris.

Can't remember Mother Therese passing away.

[stevie]

Mother Teresa died a few days after Diana. I just googled it lol

[desertsaint]

if there was ever a trivia question about what famous event happened late August 1997 i would have answered 'saints win the mp' - no recollection of di's death occuring at the same time, guess i was still in a happy delirium having attended the port game.

[prwilkinson]

I was driving home from Torquay, thought there was a footy game on the radio. The news flash only said that Dianna had been involved in a car crash in paris.

Can't remember Mother Therese passing away.

I remember it pretty well because I won a Best and Fairest award at a Presentation Day that just so happened to coincide with Diana's passing. Always remember that day because of it.

[the dome]

It's been interesting for me to hear the recollections of the '97 Port game & the m.p.
I seem to have incredibly wiped it from my memory banks, however what is deeply etched in my memory was the radio commentary I listened to on the evening of 19th. September 1997.
That evening while driving in the car South on Elgar Rd. (Box Hill Nth.) approaching the Intersection of Whitehorse Rd. during the latter parts of the game & hearing the commentators admiringly intone the name ... 'HEATLEY, HEATLEY !! as Jason Heatley kicked the 7th of his Wonderful Goals through the big sticks I found myself in some sort of ecstasy that has seemingly made this memory permanent.

The Saints put it all together for an inspired effort against North Melbourne in the Preliminary Final at the MCG, which we won by 31 points in front of 77,531.

In the process The Preliminary Final against North Melbourne saw the Saintly minor premiers create a new club winning streak record of nine, and more importantly, get the club into its first Grand Final since the disappointment of 1971.

But it was the emphatic utterances of the commentators squeezing out the name Heatley with the huge roar of the St.Kilda faithfull booming through the radio speakers that was my unforgettable memory of 1997.

[saint64]

Mother Teresa died a few days after Diana. I just googled it lol

you are correct - funny how the memory goes over time

[Waltzing St Kilda]

I reckon Lazar did his knee earlier in the season. Possibly in the same match against Collingwood where Joel Smith
went down. Anyone back me up?

[Fidelis]

Joel Smith did his knee against Collingwood at the G in Round 18 that year.
Lazar's injury was in Round 22 against Port Adelaide.
The full impact of that injury was felt the following week when Spider broke his collarbone against Brisbane in the Elimination Final.
Sliding doors.

[perfectionist]

Joel Smith did his knee against Collingwood at the G in Round 18 that year.
Lazar's injury was in Round 22 against Port Adelaide.
The full impact of that injury was felt the following week when Spider broke his collarbone against Brisbane in the Elimination Final.
Sliding doors.

Not only was it in the last game, it was in the last two minutes of that game! I'm afraid that incident is far more ingrained in my memory than that of a motor mishap in Paris.

Joel Smith "did" his knee because Richard Osborne took out his legs in a deliberate move - a mongrel move. The rule came in 18 years too late!