St. Kilda St. Kilda
St Kilda was formed 3 weeks after Tom Wills famous letter to Bells Life was published, in July 1858. This letter asked for the creation of football clubs. But this club has no links to the current St Kilda Football Club. The new club was formed in 1873, it was a union between St Kilda cricketers and the old South Yarra Football Club.
St Kilda (the new club) played it’s games at Alpaca Park, near St Kilda Railway station. The ground got it’s name because a herd of animals had grazed there in an unsuccessful attempt to breed. St Kilda thrived in a way that the animals never had. By the clubs second year it was ranked as a senior team (ie St Kilda was playing in the top competition).
In 1875, a shortage of players had led to a disastrous merger with University. This team lasted half a season before St Kilda played in it’s own right in 1876. In 1879 St Kilda choose to drop to the Junior ranks , they remained there for 7 years. In 1886 St Kilda rejoined the VFA after it had rebuilt its strength. In 1886 St Kilda looked like it was going to merge with neighbours, Prahran, but a match between the two teams made merger prospects look remote. There were plenty of fights that day, on both sides of the fence. But in early 1888 they merged, but it was a one sided merger. St Kilda got to keep it's name, colours and home ground.
Towards the end of 1890 St Kilda won 5 games and drew 3 times in its last nine games. In on match againts North Melbourne when Alf Smith and the captain, Rusden, wore 'illegal metalic projections in their boots'. At half time both were ordered to remove the primaitive stops (studs).
St Kilda was invited to play in the VFL because they were one of 2 teams south of Melbourne, with its ground at the St Kilda Junction. Money was always a problem for St Kilda. Five days after they club had registered to wear white knickerbockers, the committee changed to dark blue kinckerbokers because they were cheaper.
In the early seasons at St Kilda a Seagull was associated with the team. A Panther was tried to be placed in the logo but it was unsuccessful. In the past 40 years the name Saints has stuck.
In Brief
Joined League: 1897
Premierships: 1
Premiership years: 1966
Brownlow Medallists: Colin Watson (1925), Brian Gleeson (1957), Neil Roberts (1958), Verdun Howell (1959), Ian Stewart (1965-66), Ross Smith (1967), Tony Lockett (1987). Robert Harvey (1997-98)
