St Kilda Football Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Kilda Football Club
Names
Full name	St Kilda Football Club Limited
Nickname(s)	Saints, Sainters Indigenous rounds: Euro-Yroke
Former nickname(s)	Seagulls, Panthers
Motto	Fortius Quo Fidelius ("Strength Through Loyalty")
Club song	"When The Saints Go Marching In"
2023 season
After finals	8th
Home-and-away season	6th
Leading goalkicker	Jack Higgins (36 goals)
Club details
Founded	2 April 1873; 152 years ago (1873-04-02)
Colours	Red      White      Black
Competition	AFL: Senior men AFLW: Senior women VBFL: Blind (mixed) VWFL: Wheelchair (mixed)
President	Andrew Bassat
CEO	Carl Dilena
Coach	AFL: Ross Lyon AFLW: Nick Dal Santo
Captain(s)	AFL: Jack Steele AFLW: Hannah Priest VWFL: Ryan Smith / Nathan Wilburn VBFL: Shannon Jones
Premierships	VFL/AFL (1) 1966 Reserves (3) 1942 1943 1961
Ground(s)	AFL: Docklands Stadium (56,347) AFLW: Moorabbin Oval (8,000) VWFL: Boroondara Sports Complex VBFL: Action Indoor Sports Stadium
Former ground(s)	Junction Oval (1897–1964)
	Moorabbin Oval (1965–1992)
	Waverley Park (1965–1992)
Training ground(s)	Moorabbin Oval
Uniforms
Home Away
Other information
Official website	saints.com.au
Current season

The St Kilda Football Club, known as the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football team. They are based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Saints play in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top league for this sport.

The club got its name from the suburb of St Kilda, where it was founded in 1873. They also have strong ties to Moorabbin, where their main training ground is located.

St Kilda was one of the first five teams in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Later, they became one of the eight founding teams of the original Victorian Football League in 1897, which is now the AFL. Today, they work closely with the Sandringham Football Club in the modern VFL.

The Saints have won one championship, called a premiership. This happened in 1966, when they won by just one point against Collingwood in the 1966 VFL Grand Final. They have also reached the Grand Final six other times. The club has finished first in the regular season three times: in 1965, 1997, and 2009.

St Kilda has sometimes been seen as a team that doesn't achieve as much as expected. They have finished last more often than any other club (27 times). They also have the longest current premiership drought, meaning it's been a long time since they won a championship (58 years).

History of the St Kilda Saints

Starting Out: 1873–1915

The St Kilda Football Club officially started on April 2, 1873. Their first home ground was a large fenced area in Albert Park, which people called the "Alpaca Paddock."

In their early years, the club joined with other teams to stay strong. In 1873, they merged with the South Yarra Football Club and added red to their team colours. In 1888, they joined with Prahran Football Club, but kept their name, colours, and ground. St Kilda played in the VFA before joining the new Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897.

St Kilda was one of the eight teams in the first VFL season in 1897. Their first game was against Collingwood. Their home games were played at the Junction Oval in St Kilda.

The Saints had a tough start in the VFL. In 1899, they scored the lowest points ever in a VFL/AFL game, with just one point. They lost 48 games in a row before finally winning on May 5, 1900, against Melbourne.

St Kilda team for the 1913 Grand Final

In 1902, Charlie Baker became the first St Kilda player to be the league's top goalkicker. In 1907, St Kilda made it to the finals for the first time, winning six games in a row at the start of the season. They also reached the Grand Final in 1913, but lost to Fitzroy.

World Wars and Star Players: 1916–1949

During World War I, St Kilda stopped playing in 1916 and 1917. To avoid looking like the German Empire, they even changed their colours to include yellow instead of white for a short time. They started playing again in 1918.

The St Kilda team in 1928

Even though the team struggled, some players achieved great things. In 1925, Colin Watson won the Brownlow Medal, the league's top individual award. In 1936, Bill Mohr kicked 101 goals, becoming the first St Kilda player to kick over 100 goals in a season.

In 1939, St Kilda made it to the finals after winning eight games in a row. They won their first finals game since 1913, but then lost to Collingwood. The 1940s were also difficult for the team, even with talented players like Harold Bray and Neil Roberts.

Ups and Downs: 1950–1973

The 1950s started tough, with St Kilda finishing last three times. In 1955, new coach Alan Killigrew made big changes, removing 17 players to try and make the team better. Between 1957 and 1959, St Kilda players won three Brownlow Medals in a row! In 1958, they won the Consolation Night Series competition, beating Carlton.

In 1961, Allan Jeans became coach. In his first year, St Kilda reached the finals for the first time since 1939. In 1965, they finished first in the regular season for the first time ever. They made it to the Grand Final but lost to Essendon.

The next year, 1966, was historic! St Kilda reached the Grand Final again and beat Collingwood by just one point. This was their first and only premiership win in 68 years!

Even though they made the finals several times in the early 1970s, St Kilda couldn't win another premiership. In the 1971 Grand Final, they were ahead by 20 points in the last quarter but lost to Hawthorn by 7 points.

Tough Times and Star Players: 1974–1990

After 1973, St Kilda's performance dropped. Coach Allan Jeans retired in 1976 after 16 seasons. The club also faced big financial problems.

In 1987, Tony Lockett became the fourth St Kilda player to be the league's top goalkicker. He also won the Brownlow Medal that year, making him the only player in history to win both awards in the same season!

The AFL Era Begins: 1990–1999

The VFL officially became the Australian Football League (AFL) in 1990. In 1991, St Kilda made it to the finals for the first time since 1973, but they didn't win a final. The next year, they won their first finals match since 1973.

In 1996, St Kilda won the pre-season competition, the Ansett Australia Cup. Nicky Winmar was named the best player in the final. In 1997, St Kilda finished first in the regular season and made it to the Grand Final, but they lost to Adelaide. The 1998 season started strong, but the team's performance dropped towards the end.

From Last Place to Contenders: 2000–2011

The early 2000s were difficult for St Kilda. They finished last in 2000 and second-last in 2001 and 2002. However, they recruited future star players like Justin Koschitzke, Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal Santo, and Brendon Goddard.

In 2004, St Kilda won a club record of 10 games in a row. They made it to the preliminary final but lost. The same thing happened in 2005. In 2006, Robert Harvey broke the club record for most games played. Ross Lyon became the new coach in late 2006.

The 2009 season was amazing for St Kilda. They won 20 games and had a 19-game winning streak. In Round 14, they beat Geelong in a huge game that set attendance records. St Kilda made it to the Grand Final but lost to Geelong by 12 points.

In 2010, St Kilda reached the Grand Final again, this time against Collingwood. The game ended in a draw, which was very rare! Lenny Hayes won the Norm Smith Medal for best player in the drawn Grand Final. A replay game was played the next week, and Collingwood won.

After the 2011 season, coach Ross Lyon left the club.

New Coaches and Rebuilding: 2012–Present

After Ross Lyon left, St Kilda had a tough time and didn't make the finals until 2020. In 2013, St Kilda made history by playing the first AFL game for premiership points outside of Australia, in New Zealand. After the 2013 season, coach Scott Watters was replaced by Alan Richardson.

In 2019, Richardson resigned, and Brett Ratten took over. In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, St Kilda made the finals for the first time since 2011. They won their first finals game against the Western Bulldogs, but then lost to Richmond. After the 2022 season, Brett Ratten was replaced by former coach Ross Lyon.

In 2023, Ross Lyon's first season back, St Kilda returned to the finals, but they lost to Greater Western Sydney.

AFLW Team

In 2017, St Kilda applied for a license to join the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. They were approved and started playing in the 2020 season.

Club Identity

Team Nicknames and Motto

The club's main nickname is the "Saints," which they have used since the 1870s. Other old nicknames like "Seagulls" and "Panthers" are not used anymore.

The club's motto is Fortius Quo Fidelius, which means "Strength Through Loyalty." The club crest, which has been on their jumper since 1933, also includes this motto. The "Saints" nickname and crest do not have any religious meaning.

Team Jumpers (Guernseys)

St Kilda's home jumper (called a guernsey) has three vertical stripes: red, white, and black. The club crest is on the left side of the chest. The back of the jumper is plain black with white numbers. The away jumper is similar.

The "clash" guernsey, worn when their main jumper is too similar to the opponent's, also has red, white, and black stripes, but with extra white panels.

Jumper Evolution

Uniform Evolution

Period	Description and history	Design
1873–1885	St Kilda's first guernsey. A replica was worn in 2013 for the club's 140th anniversary.
1893–1909	A wider version of the stripes.
1910–1914	The same top, but with black shorts instead of blue.
1915–1918	A yellow version of the guernsey, used during World War I to avoid looking like the German Empire's flag.
1919–22	A second yellow guernsey, with a 'K' for 'Kilda'.
1923–52	A return to the pre-war guernsey, with an extra white stripe.
1953–96 2002–present	The "vest" style guernsey with red, white, and black stripes.
1997–2001	A new design based on the club crest.

Club Song

St Kilda's club song is a version of "When The Saints Go Marching In." It was recorded in 1972. Before 1965, their song was an adaptation of "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside."

Home Grounds

Junction Oval: 1897–1964

St Kilda's first home ground in the VFL was Junction Oval. They played there until 1964. The club wanted its own venue, so they looked for a new home. In 2014, there were talks about St Kilda returning to Junction Oval for training, but this plan was not approved.

Moorabbin Oval: 1965–1992

Players training at Moorabbin Oval before the 2009 AFL Grand Final

Moorabbin Oval has been St Kilda's training and office base since 1965, except for a few years. In 1964, the club made a deal to move all their playing, training, and office activities to Moorabbin Oval. They signed a 75-year lease agreement.

Even after they stopped playing home games there, Moorabbin Oval remained their training and office facility. In 2010, the club temporarily moved to a new facility in Seaford. However, in 2018, St Kilda moved back to Moorabbin Oval as their main base after a big redevelopment.

Waverley Park: 1993–1999

Waverley Park was built by the VFL in 1970. The league wanted its own stadium because most teams didn't control their home grounds. In the 1990s, St Kilda decided to move their home games to Waverley Park from 1993. This helped the club with its debts. In 1999, the AFL decided not to schedule any more games at Waverley Park.

Docklands Stadium: 2000–Present

Docklands Stadium – St Kilda's home ground

In 2000, St Kilda moved their home games to Docklands Stadium. This stadium was built for different sports and events. The AFL wanted a new stadium to replace Waverley Park. Docklands Stadium can hold 52,000 people and cost about $460 million to build.

St Kilda set an attendance record at Docklands Stadium in 2009, when 54,444 people watched them play Geelong. St Kilda has played and won the most AFL matches at Docklands Stadium compared to any other AFL team.

Since 2023, St Kilda plays one home game a year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the other 10 home games at Docklands Stadium.

Other Facilities

From 2010 to 2018, St Kilda's main training and office base was the Linen House Centre in Seaford. This facility cost about $11 million to build. However, the club chose to move back to Moorabbin Oval in 2018. In 2020, St Kilda suggested that the Seaford facility be used by the wider community.

Playing Squad

Current AFL Squad

Reserves Teams

St Kilda used to have its own reserves team from 1919 to 2000. These teams allowed players who weren't chosen for the main team to still play. The St Kilda reserves team won three championships in 1942, 1943, and 1961.

In 2001, St Kilda started working with the Springvale Football Club for their reserves players. Since 2009, they have been affiliated with the Sandringham Football Club. This means St Kilda's reserves players play for Sandringham. The two clubs have a strong partnership, and Sandringham even plays some games in St Kilda colours at Moorabbin Oval.

Club Leadership and Sponsors

Administrative Board

• President: Andrew Bassat
• Vice president: Russell Caplan
• Chief executive officer: Matt Finnis
• Director: Dean Anderson
• Director: Jennifer Douglas
• Director: Paul Kirk
• Director: Jack Rush
• Director: Danni Roche
• Director: Adam Hilton

Sponsors

Principal partners

• CMC Markets
• Pepper Money

Major sponsors

• Red Rooster
• RSEA Safety

Elite partners

• AIA
• AVJennings
• Furphy Beer
• Jayco
• Mosh
• New Balance
• Opal
• Webcentral

Apparel sponsors

• Puma (1997–2001)
• Sekem (2002–2003)
• Piping Hot (2003–2006)
• Skins (2007)
• ISC (2008–2016, 2020)
• BLK (2017–2019)
• New Balance (2021–present)

Supporters

St Kilda has many supporters in the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne, like St Kilda itself. They also have strong support in the south-east parts of Melbourne. The suburb of St Kilda has a large Jewish community, and the club is popular among them.

Famous Supporters

Some well-known St Kilda supporters who have been the club's "number-one ticket holders" include:

• Eric Bana – actor and comedian
• Lindsay Fox – former club president
• Elle MacPherson – model and actress
• Mark Dreyfus – Attorney-General of Australia

Membership and Attendance

St Kilda's membership and attendance at games have changed over the years. The club aims to increase its membership and attract more fans to matches.

Partnerships

New Zealand Partnership

In 2012, St Kilda signed a deal to play one game a year in New Zealand on Anzac Day. This made St Kilda and the Sydney Swans the first AFL clubs to play for championship points outside Australia. This partnership ended in 2015.

China Partnership

In 2018, St Kilda signed a three-year deal to play an annual game in China. This partnership was expected to bring in over $2 million for the club. In 2019, over 4 million people watched the game between St Kilda and Port Adelaide. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games in China were not played in 2020 or 2021.

Club Achievements

Team Achievements

Grand Finals Played

St Kilda has played in several Grand Finals throughout its history:

1913 27 September 1913 14:50 AEST (UTC+10:00)	Fitzroy	56–43	St Kilda	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	3.6 (24) 4.8 (32) 5.11 (41) 7.14 (56)		0.1 (1) 0.5 (5) 1.10 (16) 5.13 (43)	Attendance: 59,556 Umpires: Jack Elder
		Goals
	Shaw 2, Freake, Heaney, Martin, Norris, Parratt		Morrissey 2, Baird, Millhouse, Sellars

1965 25 September 1965 14:50 AEST (UTC+10:00)	St Kilda	70–105	Essendon	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	1.6 (12) 4.8 (32) 5.11 (41) 9.16 (70)		2.7 (19) 5.10 (40) 10.18 (78) 14.21 (105)	Attendance: 104,846 Umpires: Jeff Crouch
		Goals
	Howell 3, Baldock 2, Rowland 2, Roberts, Smith		Fordham 7, Gosper 2, Sampson 2, Birt, Fraser, Mitchell

1966 24 September 1966 14:50 AEST (UTC+10:00)	Collingwood	73–74	St Kilda	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	2.1 (13) 5.7 (37) 7.11 (53) 10.13 (73)		2.5 (17) 5.6 (36) 8.9 (57) 10.14 (74)	Attendance: 101,655 Umpires: Jeff Crouch
		Goals
	Tuddenham 3, Gabelich 2, Richardson 2, Graham, Pitt, Wallis		Neale 5, Baldock 2, Cooper, Griffiths, Moran

1971 25 September 1971 14:30 AEST (UTC+10:00)	Hawthorn	82–75	St Kilda	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	2.2 (14) 4.4 (28) 5.7 (37) 12.10 (82)		2.1 (13) 4.6 (30) 8.9 (57) 11.9 (75)	Attendance: 118,192 Umpires: Peter Sheales
		Goals
	Keddie 4, Hudson 3, Crimmins 2, Matthews, Rice, Scott		Bonney 3, Breen 3, Davis, Manzie, Smith, Theodore, Trott

1997 27 September 1997 14:45 AEST (UTC+10:00)	St Kilda	94–125	Adelaide	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	3.6 (24) 7.11 (53) 9.13 (67) 13.16 (94)		3.8 (26) 5.10 (40) 11.11 (73) 19.11 (125)	Attendance: 99,645 Umpires: Hayden Kennedy, Mark Nash, Bryan Sheehan
		Goals
	Hall 3, Heatley 3, Loewe 2, Burke, Harvey, Jones, Peckett, Winmar		Jarman 6, Ellen 5, Bond 4, Caven, Goodwin, Rintoul, Smart

2009 26 September 2009 14:30 AEST (UTC+10:00)	St Kilda	68–80	Geelong	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	3.2 (20) 7.7 (49) 9.11 (65) 9.14 (68)		3.0 (18) 7.1 (43) 9.4 (58) 12.8 (80)	Attendance: 99,251 Umpires: Chris Donlon, Brett Rosebury, Shaun Ryan
		Goals
	Schneider 2, Dempster, Goddard, Hayes, Jones, Koschitzke, Montagna, Riewoldt		Chapman 3, Hawkins 2, Mooney 2, Rooke 2, Ablett, Byrnes, Selwood

2010 25 September 2010 14:30 AEST (UTC+10:00)	Collingwood	68–68	St Kilda	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	4.2 (26) 7.8 (50) 7.13 (55) 9.14 (68)		3.2 (20) 4.2 (26) 7.5 (47) 10.8 (68)	Attendance: 100,016 Umpires: Ray Chamberlain, Brett Rosebury, Shaun Ryan
		Goals
	Cloke 2, Blair, Davis, Didak, Jolly, Lumumba, Macaffer, Thomas		Goddard 2, Milne 2, Riewoldt 2, Gilbert, Hayes, Koschitzke, Schneider

2010 Replay 2 October 2010 14:30 AEST (UTC+10:00)	Collingwood	108–52	St Kilda	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
	3.2 (20) 6.5 (41) 11.8 (74) 16.12 (108)		0.2 (2) 1.8 (14) 4.9 (33) 7.10 (52)	Attendance: 93,853 Umpires: Ray Chamberlain, Brett Rosebury, Shaun Ryan
		Goals
	Dawes 2, Didak 2, Macaffer 2, Sidebottom 2, Wellingham 2, Goldsack, Johnson, Jolly, Lumumba, Swan, Thomas		Milne 2, Dal Santo, Gilbert, Goddard, Hayes, Koschitzke

Individual Player Awards

All-Australian Teams

An All-Australian team is a selection of the best players in the league for a given year, chosen by a panel. Players from St Kilda who have been named All-Australian:

• Neil Roberts – 1956
• Ian Stewart – 1966
• Darrel Baldock – 1966
• Bob Murray – 1969
• Travis Payze – 1972
• Bruce Duperouzel – 1980
• Danny Frawley – 1988
• Geoff Cunningham – 1983
• Greg Burns – 1984
• Tony Lockett – 1987, 1991, 1992
• Danny Frawley – 1988
• Nicky Winmar – 1989, 1991, 1995
• Stewart Loewe – 1990, 1991, 1992
• David Grant – 1991
• Robert Harvey – 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003
• Nathan Burke – 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999
• Austinn Jones – 1997, 2004
• Peter Everitt – 1997, 1998
• Lenny Hayes – 2003, 2005, 2009
• Fraser Gehrig – 2004
• Nick Riewoldt – 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014
• Luke Ball – 2005
• Nick Dal Santo – 2005, 2009, 2011
• Sam Fisher – 2008
• Brendon Goddard – 2009, 2010
• Leigh Montagna – 2009, 2010
• Stephen Milne – 2011, 2012
• Sean Dempster – 2012
• Dan Butler – 2020
• Jack Steele – 2020, 2021
• Jack Sinclair – 2022, 2023
• Callum Wilkie – 2023

Records and Statistics

Other Teams

St Kilda also has a team in the Victorian Blind Football League (VBFL), which started in 2019. This team won the 2021 VBFL premiership by 64 points.

See also

In Spanish: St Kilda Football Club para niños

• Sport in Australia
• Sport in Victoria