When I first started following footy in about late 2009, I fell under the erroneous impression that St. Kilda was one of the great clubs. And I suppose if you place a lot of stock in nostalgia and history, then they are. After all, they are one of the originals, the clubs that were there when professional football really became a thing. But if you measure greatness by winning, then they're kind of not so great. In 2009, however, they were fantastic.
The 2009 Saints were one of the most dominant teams in history. Unbeaten through the first 19 rounds, they finished the home-and-away season with only two losses. Then they powered their way through the finals to meet Geelong in the Grand Final. But they didn't take home the flag.
The next year they weren't nearly as strong, but they still had talent and guts and were able to return to the GF for the second consecutive year. That turned out to be one of the most exciting, memorable matches of all time. And while it reinforced the idea in my mind that the Saints were a perennially strong team, the club still failed to win a Premiership.
Since then, I've spent some time looking at league history and stats, and I now realize St. Kilda is more of an also-ran than a powerhouse. Yet, three current players at the club are actually among the best to have played the game: Riewoldt, Hayes, and Milne. Riewoldt and Milne both rank high in several categories, including career goals. Hayes may not have a lot of flashy stats, but his abilities on the field are unquestioned.
All three of these players have had stellar careers, careers that cannot last more than a few more seasons. Looking at the current state of things, it seems very unlikely the club will win a Premiership before one or all of this group retires. What a disappointment that St. Kilda will have had these outstanding players, who've shown great loyalty to the club, for so many seasons and fall short of the ultimate prize.
The media have asked Riewoldt about this; he has of course downplayed the significance noting that there's more to life than winning it all. I've never seen the question put to Hayes or Milne, but I suspect their responses would be similar.
Brendon Goddard was in a similar position at St. Kilda, and I now wonder whether not winning a championship was a big part of his decision to leave the club. When the Saints were training in Colorado this past year, I asked Milne why he thought Goddard had left and he indicated it was predominantly a salary dispute. But the prospect of not winning may have been weighing on Goddard's mind and got him thinking about leaving.
Anything can happen in the next few seasons, and of course I'd love to see St. Kilda bring home a Premiership. Still, if they don't manage to win, I think these three players will be remembered as one of the best trios to play nearly their entire careers together without achieving the highest benchmark of success.
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