Round 9 1965 - The Experiment that helped win a Premiership

[Enrico_Misso]

Bit of summer reading.

Apologies to those who have seen this article before.
A good read.
End of the Melbourne Norm Smith era.
And "perhaps" the base for our Premiership ......
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Round 9 1965 - 'The Experiment that helped win a Premiership'
12:00 AM Wed 28 April, 2004


Round 9 1965 - 'The Experiment that helped win a Premiership'
by Allan Grant.

1965 - The List.
At the beginning of 1965 the Saints were in new surroundings in their first season at Moorabbin. Allan Jeans had coached for 4 yrs and expectations were high as he entered his fifth season as coach. He had coached with moderate success up till now but had gathered a formidable group of talent at Moorabbin. Players on the list in 1965 were, Ian Stewart, Darrel Baldock, Allan Morrow, Verdun Howell, Bob Murray, Ross Smith, Brian Sierakowski, Rodger Head, Kevin Neale, Ross Oakley, Jeff Moran, Bruce McMaster - Smith, Carl Ditterich, Daryl Griffiths, Ian Synman, Ian (Doggy) Rowland, Brian Mynott, Ian Cooper, Kevin Billing, Jimmy Read, Ken Baker, Dennis Bartley, Barry Breen, Ray Cross, John Dowling, Des Kennedy, Ken Mann, Tom Marinko, Allan McDonald, Ray McHugh, Bob Morton, Kevin Roberts, Ted Schwarzman and Jim Wallis with apologies to those from ’65 I haven’t named. All players on the list were capable and hungry to win, and the first few games of 1965 were testament to that view.

1965 – The Early Rounds
We opened the season at Moorabbin where 51,370 fans saw the Saints jump the Magpies early and then hang on to win by 6 points in a low scoring affair. We were off and running.

We then ventured back to the Lakeside where we played the Swans for the Lake Premiership, or maybe something else! Who knew? Certainly not this 15 yr old. We had traditionally played for the Lake Premiership but I can tell you, in the ranks of the cheer squad there was much discussion about what we were now playing for and frankly we didn’t much care. The world was a happy place as we rolled the Swans by 33 points. In Round 3 we went off to the “Gâ€

[GrumpyOne]

The unreliable memory bank seems to remember that Carl Ditterich played a blinder that day against Melbourne.

[Verdun66]

Great memories. Where did that stuff come from? Is there more? The Round 7 game was I think the first time I went to Moorabbin.

The swap of Howell and Murray I remember very well. My Dad did business with Verdun's brother, and got the word during the week that the swap was on. Great secrecy ( how a 9 year old from Beaumaris got the good oil when the rest of the football world knew nothing...well.....Dad was well connected!)

And I remember everyone yelling out at the start of the game that they'd both gone to the wrong end. I clearly remember Dad and I smiling at each other. Verdun kicked 9 against the Hawks not long after. What a player. But with Baldock and Stewart feeding him he had a head start!

And that Melbourne game was the end of the Dees. Undefeated to that point we thrashed them at the G and they didn't win again consistently for years.
That game was definitely when they realised the Saints were the goods.

[mick13]

So wheres our flag for 65? lol

[Verdun66]

Many thought our '65 side stronger than '66, but the Dons did us in the GF due apparently to our inexperience and naivety of finals time.

[spert]

I think Jeans may have said in an interview years later, that in '65, the players approached the GF in light-hearted naive way, and as a result, lost the '65 final, they were much more mentally focussed in '66 at finals time having learnt their lesson. It would be nice to have a Stewart or Baldock running around this season.

[saintwill66]

Alan Jeans was a Super Coach and I hope Ross Lyon calls on him to hone his own skills in 2009 - swap Riewoldt and Fisher for example. I've long held the view that having Riewoldt as a permanent CHF is a mistake, he should be moved around the way Wallace used Richardson last year. St Kilda's forward structure with Roo the main focus has been far too predictable, and we all know that Sam Fisher has all the attributes to be a power forward. When Sam gets the ball within range he's a far safer bet to convert than Nick, regrettably it has only been permitted on rare occasions.

[makemytime]

Alan Jeans was a Super Coach and I hope Ross Lyon calls on him to hone his own skills in 2009 - swap Riewoldt and Fisher for example. I've long held the view that having Riewoldt as a permanent CHF is a mistake, he should be moved around the way Wallace used Richardson last year. St Kilda's forward structure with Roo the main focus has been far too predictable, and we all know that Sam Fisher has all the attributes to be a power forward. When Sam gets the ball within range he's a far safer bet to convert than Nick, regrettably it has only been permitted on rare occasions.

With the additions of defenders such as Ray and Begley, I'm thinking that RL has that in mind. I'm sure hes thinking about releasing the likes of our superior rebounding defenders(who are some of the best in the competition) into the midfield, Fisher even said he would take the opportunity

http://saints.com.au/tabid/5315/Default ... wsid=71192

[bigcarl]

It would be nice to have a Stewart or Baldock running around this season.

nah, we have a youth policy

[stinger]

i flew over from tassie for that melbourne game...pure magic.....lot better outcome than the grannie i also flew over for.....