Milan Faletic

[jaxons]

[Toy Saint]

Grant Thomas was outstanding early, loved his 80 metre goal

[samuraisaint]

I remember that game - Paul Sarah kicked the winning goal right at the end.

[Trev from the Bush]

Thanks Jaxons, I'll watch this tomorrow.

Milan was another great white hope that did not really live up to early promise. I remember going to meet mates at a pub in North Melbourne after we beat the dogs at Western Oval in round 1. Faletic kicked 5.5 on debut, outstanding. He didn't live up to my expectations and by late in the season was being called Milan Pathetic. He appeared to be scared at times, certainly did not like the hard ball. A great talent, though, but just not up to the rigours of VFL to be considered a good player.

[SaintPav]

God, we were s***. Still 5 seasons away before we were any good.

[SaintPav]

I’ll raise you one Glen Middlemiss.

[Enrico_Misso]

Remember that game.
Nearly a big upset against the reigning premier.

I thought the big banners hanging on the fences stopped in the 70s when we sold out to advertising revenue, but here in 1981 there is still one surviving at the Nepean Highway end.

What year did those banners finally disappear?

[kosifantutti]

I remember that game - Paul Sarah kicked the winning goal right at the end.

Was it the game where the umpires were on strike?

Sarah got a dodgy free kick for that goal.

[Selhurst Saint]

I remember that game - Paul Sarah kicked the winning goal right at the end.

Was it the game where the umpires were on strike?

Sarah got a dodgy free kick for that goal.

That's correct. The umpires were on strike and I think Harry Beitzel who was the umpires advisor of the time appointed his son to umpire our game. It was freezing cold and blowing a gale. I also think it was the day a Richmond "Hag" poured a hot thermos of coffee over Glenn Browns head as he was picking the ball up out of the gutter.

[asiu]

I also think it was the day a Richmond "Hag" poured a hot thermos of coffee over Glenn Browns head as he was picking the ball up out of the gutter.

classic

[WellardSaint]

I recall watching a VFL Ressies grand final on TV, in the late 70's, when we played the Bombers i think, in the curtain raiser.
Milan took a mark about 50m in front, siren went; he lined up and the ball went askew. I was shattered, Milan kicked the ground in disgust

[SaintPav]

His first season at the Saints was in 1981.

[BackFromUSA]

Heartbreaking watching that

[asiu]

it was a bit rough

i watched it all
had no idea we were gunna lose

[Enrico_Misso]

I remember that game - Paul Sarah kicked the winning goal right at the end.

Was it the game where the umpires were on strike?

Sarah got a dodgy free kick for that goal.

That's correct. The umpires were on strike and I think Harry Beitzel who was the umpires advisor of the time appointed his son to umpire our game. It was freezing cold and blowing a gale. I also think it was the day a Richmond "Hag" poured a hot thermos of coffee over Glenn Browns head as he was picking the ball up out of the gutter.

Yes, twelve umpires made their VFL debut that day (6 games x 2 umps).
Beitzel junior ("Can ya hear me daddy") was one of them, but our umps were Robert Blythe (his one and only game) and Glen McKeeman who bobbed up again six years later and umpired 3 more games.

[samuraisaint]

it was a bit rough

i watched it all
had no idea we were gunna lose

in the 80s, until about 1987 we always did.

[asiu]

hope ‘n optimism is strong in this Sainter

[shanegrambeau]

Grant Thomas was outstanding early, loved his 80 metre goal

I noticed that too. Quick and deft, and not small either obviously.

Those seasons '81-'86, they have piqued my curiosity again. Everytime I see any YouTube highlights recently, I am struck that we were seemingly, 'up and about' for significant patches of the game. We know the story - we usually lost, so it's a bit forlorn, but we battled and those four or five coaches of the period must have tried all sorts of things.