A massive rift has been healed

stinger · Post: # 962485Post **stinger** » Sun 25 Jul 2010 11:05pm

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/l ... 10ps9.html

"The Saints last night inducted utility Ken Walker (1938-45), defender Ian Synman (1958-59, 61-69) and ruckman Jeff Sarau (1973-83) into the Hall of Fame. Former defender Neil Besanko and Steven Baker were awarded life memberships.'

all well deserved too......

savatage · Post: # 962558Post **savatage** » Mon 26 Jul 2010 1:01am

kosifantutti23 wrote:Was it his first appearance at a club function in 16 years?

According to the Herald Sun

Lockett, always the reluctant hero, made his first appearance at a St Kilda function since leaving the club at the end of the 1994 season.
According to The Age

Attending his first function with the Saints since he controversially left the club in 1994, the AFL's greatest goalkicker was given a standing ovation at Crown Casino.
Even Enrico Misso who I would trust more than either of the above two sources said it but I'm 99% sure he was at the team of the century dinner in 2001. Can anyone else confirm this?

And as I said above Rohan Connolly saw him.

The Age

Friday April 6, 2001

By ROHAN CONNOLLY

It's been seven long years since he left, but three more ``tons" down the track, plus the attaining of immortality with the breaking of Gordon Coventry's goalkicking record with Sydney, St Kilda favorite Tony Lockett was last night finally reunited with his former club

He was definitely there in 2001.

AnythingsPossibleSaints · Tue 27 Jul 2010 2:11am

stinger wrote:
plugger66 wrote:
So he runs inside out to kick it. You are again wrong. Doesnt matter what side of the field he on he always runs to the right.

no he was running to the left when joey was pinged....all i'm saying is that he runs to whatever side opens up the angle :roll:that too hard for you to grasp albert???

Now that is funny. Maybe his eyes are rolling around constantly like this while he's trying to watch the game, preventing him from seeing what's actually going on.

Saints94 · Post: # 963299Post **Saints94** » Tue 27 Jul 2010 5:10pm

Is Sandy Roberts a Saints fan?

yipper · Post: # 963300Post **yipper** » Tue 27 Jul 2010 5:13pm

Saints94 wrote:Is Sandy Roberts a Saints fan?

Yep.

Saints94 · Post: # 963304Post **Saints94** » Tue 27 Jul 2010 5:15pm

yipper wrote:
Saints94 wrote:Is Sandy Roberts a Saints fan?
Yep.

Your opinion or...............?

stinger · Post: # 963305Post **stinger** » Tue 27 Jul 2010 5:17pm

he was wearing a saints tie....

Saints94 · Post: # 963306Post **Saints94** » Tue 27 Jul 2010 5:18pm

stinger wrote:he was wearing a saints tie....

Sweet, that settles it then

saintbrat · Post: # 963319Post **saintbrat** » Tue 27 Jul 2010 5:38pm

Saints94 wrote:
stinger wrote:he was wearing a saints tie....
Sweet, that settles it then

he is a Known saints fan
was very glad it was him doing the MC'ing.

Furphy · Post: # 964029Post **Furphy** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 8:45am

Enrico_Misso wrote:16 years ago our greatest legend walked out on us for a variety of complex reasons.
To the best of my knowledge tonight was his first official function back at the place where he made his name.

It was incredibly emotional.
He got two massive standing ovations.
Danny tried to make a speech to welcome him back. He started to say something about 16 years is too bloody long but had to cut off as the emotion got to him.

At the end of the formalities he was besieged with well wishers and 90 minutes later was still standing left of stage surrounded by adoring fans just wanting to say "welcome back", get a hand shake, get an autograph, get a photo, but mostly just to bask in the glory that the great man is BACK.

And not just us fans,
there were past and present players clamouring to get close and soak it up.

His departure and his shunning of us has always left a void, even bitterness.
But tonight all is forgiven.
The disturbance in the force has been rectified.

His "return" capped off a magnificent night.

I recall at the time that St.Kilda couldn't match Sydney's offer to Plugger, just offer him the captaincy.

missgez · Post: # 964039Post **missgez** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 10:28am

I did a tour of the MCG a couple of years back - has anyone else seen that big tapestry that commemorates I think 100 years of the ground? Well it depicts all the greatest sports stars and rock stars that have graced the arena and Plugger is on there and he is wearing a Saints jumper and I have always felt that meant a lot because despite the end, that is how people see him, as a Saint.

Welcome back Plugger xo

ozrulestrace · Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:11pm

Francis Leach just spoken quite eloquently about this subject on SEN, about the years it may take for the hurt to finally disappear between a player and a club, using the return of the Plugger to the club.

He spoke that Plugger was adored by the Saints fans and when Plugger left the club his negative comments about the club left an even more bitter and hurt reaction with the Saints fans.

Plus he was right when he said the hurt continued especially when the Swans claimed the history Plugger had as a player, as if his
St Kilda career didn't count at all.

But with the passing years, and with a club management who've come in and wanted to build on the past and feel confident about itself as a club, has the time come for Plugger and the club to come together, forget the past hurts and start building it again.

I hope I quoted you correctly Francis, but probably it explained my own feelings re Plugger since he left the club.

So Plugger, welcome back, be proud to talk of your time with St Kilda, and know the supporters did adore when you put terror into the heart of defenders down at Moorabbin and I can still remember the day at the MCG when you kicked 12 out of St Kilda's 14 goals against Moorabbin.

bigcarl · Post: # 964251Post **bigcarl** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:17pm

ozrulestrace wrote:I can still remember the day at the MCG when you kicked 12 out of St Kilda's 14 goals against Melbourne.

I was there that day. freak.

Mooksy · Post: # 964255Post **Mooksy** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:23pm

Best player I have ever seen. I nearly cried on Sunday reading about his return. Well done to the club to get him back.

Stephen Theodore · Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:29pm

Yep, fantastic to see the legend return.

saintkid · Post: # 964259Post **saintkid** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:35pm

His biggest tally was 14 goals against the Swans at Moorabbin in 1991. My old man got us to watch all of his Lockett highlights he has on VHS back then. Geez he was some freak of a footballer that guy and was surprisingly fast for such a big bloke.

plugger66 · Post: # 964260Post **plugger66** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:38pm

saintkid wrote:His biggest tally was 14 goals against the Swans at Moorabbin in 1991. My old man got us to watch all of his Lockett highlights he has on VHS back then. Geez he was some freak of a footballer that guy and was surprisingly fast for such a big bloke.

He did get 16 when playing for the Swans and was actually taken from the ground wrongly for about 15 minutes.

bigcarl · Post: # 964262Post **bigcarl** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:40pm

plugger66 wrote:
saintkid wrote:His biggest tally was 14 goals against the Swans at Moorabbin in 1991. My old man got us to watch all of his Lockett highlights he has on VHS back then. Geez he was some freak of a footballer that guy and was surprisingly fast for such a big bloke.
He did get 16 when playing for the Swans and was actually taken from the ground wrongly for about 15 minutes.

Sixteen straight.

Barassi dragged him in the second quarter for 15 minutes for some reason.

saintkid · Post: # 964263Post **saintkid** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:40pm

plugger66 wrote:
saintkid wrote:His biggest tally was 14 goals against the Swans at Moorabbin in 1991. My old man got us to watch all of his Lockett highlights he has on VHS back then. Geez he was some freak of a footballer that guy and was surprisingly fast for such a big bloke.
He did get 16 when playing for the Swans and was actually taken from the ground wrongly for about 15 minutes.

Yeah it was against Fitzroy lions but only the big goal hauls he kicked in the red, white and black count in our household.

Verdun66 · Post: # 964265Post **Verdun66** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 7:43pm

Been enjoying the pictures and videos of the evening. He made barracking for the Saints more bearable in very dark days. And as we emerged in '87, I was there at Moorabbin for his 100th against the Dogs. What a day that was. Not far behind our great 60's days for me.

It was a real rollercoaster ride with Plugger. Great days, dark days. Bags of goals, injuries, suspensions, brain-fades, more goals. Great marks, crunches, everything. What a player.

Really liked that our current players swooped on him. Can't believe Roo had never met him, but I suppose he was estranged for so long. Hope he provided some inspiration.

And Danny Frawley breaking down. He is an incredibly emotional guy, which is great. And he was as much a part of the Plugger story as anyone.

Hope we see Tony around a bit more at the club's key functions in the future. I think our fans and players would love that.

bristol_saint · Thu 29 Jul 2010 8:53pm

I have a jumper signed by the seven living St Kilda Brownlow medalists; and of course Plugger is one of those signatures...this was purchased in the early 2000's (through a Western Saints function) and from memory Lew Mutch ran around like a headless chicken with two jumpers to get the signatures (and Tony was very difficult as he was very reluctant to sign anything St Kilda)...I am not 100% sure if it was the team of the century....Lew would have a better idea though...

SaintWal · Post: # 964339Post **SaintWal** » Thu 29 Jul 2010 9:35pm

Verdun66 wrote:Been enjoying the pictures and videos of the evening. He made barracking for the Saints more bearable in very dark days. And as we emerged in '87, I was there at Moorabbin for his 100th against the Dogs. What a day that was. Not far behind our great 60's days for me.

It was a real rollercoaster ride with Plugger. Great days, dark days. Bags of goals, injuries, suspensions, brain-fades, more goals. Great marks, crunches, everything. What a player.

Really liked that our current players swooped on him. Can't believe Roo had never met him, but I suppose he was estranged for so long. Hope he provided some inspiration.

And Danny Frawley breaking down. He is an incredibly emotional guy, which is great. And he was as much a part of the Plugger story as anyone.

Hope we see Tony around a bit more at the club's key functions in the future. I think our fans and players would love that.

Great Post.

They were dark days but you always have shining lights out there as well.

I believe that him coming back could be the catalyst to the next step. But then again I just believe.

Verdun66 · Post: # 964440Post **Verdun66** » Fri 30 Jul 2010 1:15am

Thanks Saintwal.

Must make mention of a great photo of the evening. Kosi and Joey are lining up behind Plugger waiting to see him like a couple of little kids. Then in the photo they have with him they're absolutely beaming.

Players can be fans too!

saintbrat · Post: # 964441Post **saintbrat** » Fri 30 Jul 2010 1:18am

Verdun66 wrote:Thanks Saintwal.

Must make mention of a great photo of the evening. Kosi and Joey are lining up behind Plugger waiting to see him like a couple of little kids. Then in the photo they have with him they're absolutely beaming.

Players can be fans too!

that one and the one of Raph- a huge saints fan as a kid- and Nicholas W and co with huge smiles on their face.

heard Kosi had asked someone to introduce him- rather than just bowl up and assume he knew who he was.....

Richter · Post: # 964442Post **Richter** » Fri 30 Jul 2010 1:26am

The video....

http://www.saints.com.au/saints%20tv/ta ... fault.aspx

A massive rift has been healed

Re: A massive rift has been healed