Back in the day, I often posted regular composite teams on the Footy Almanac site. Anyhow, I’ve happily passed on that baton to newer, younger, Almanackers like Rodney Boyd, who have handled it with aplomb
However, after reading the September 4 posting by jezza25, I started to think of the players from Carlton that were unloaded to St Kilda back in the 1980s. I wondered if there were enough for a team? Of course, adding other players who have turned out for both Carlton and St Kilda, can provide enough for a team. Here we go.
B: D Rice, I Muller, V Perovic.
HB: L Stocker, I Aitken, R Nixon.
C: M Lappin, S Kourkoumelis, C Devenport.
HF: A Hamill, P Brown, P McConville.
F: R Galt, A Jesaulenko, B McMaster-Smith.
Followers: W Jones, N Chandler, K Sheldon.
Bench: B Acres, V Arthur, J Newnes.
Coach: A Jesaulenko
With the bench I wondered how many players I’d list. Over the years the number of players on the bench have changed; 1,2,3,4, with their roles, titles changing. Reserves, interchange, substitutes, are just some of the names given those sitting on the bench. Is there anyone else I should add to this bench?
Glen!
To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.
Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.
Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.
Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.
Alex Marcou?
Very good point Damian. How did I forget him !?!
The bench has space to expand.
Glen!
His long hair was next level at St Kilda.
The most vile stuff I’ve ever heard at a footy game was by a bunch of Saints supporters at Vic Park in ’88 when Marcou, Sheldon, McConville were all playing for the Saints. I think they were the Animal Enclosure on the road edition. Nothing I’ve heard from any crowd comes close to some of the filth that was coming out of their mouths that day in the outer. As the game slipped away they started yelling out how Marcou, Sheldon, McConville, etc. “could f#ing tell you c–s a thing or two about 79 and 81”. I remember being impressed by their knowledge of footy history.
Alex was an integral member of the Mosquito Fleet at Carlton.Better player than Ricky Nixon
I’d pick him on the Half Forward Flank.
Dan if he goes on the HFF, would Peter McConville replace Ricky Nixon on the HB line?
Glen!
Good work Glen
Nobody that could go in the side
Couple of 1 game players in the squad could be Sean Charles and Sam Rowe
Paddy Dow could be the sub.
How about Alex Jesaulenko as the captain-coach, not just the captain?
Any chance of this recently selected Blue Saints team playing against the recently selected First Game of the Year in a Final team?
If so, the venue will be Princes Park, Carlton.
Entertainment will be provided by the rock band The Saints, the songs “One Day in September”, “Boppin’ the Blues” and “Song Sung Blue”. Both the Carlton and St Kilda Football Club songs will also be played.
The Carlton Bluebirds will make a special guest appearance at half time.
Refreshments will include blueberry muffins.
Let’s hope for a good game of football without any major blues on the field.
Firstly, I meant to type Alex Jesaulenko as the captain-coach, not just the coach. Ken Sheldon can also give Jezza input into the coaching of the Blue Saints team.
May I suggest Stephen Silvagni as the List Manager for this team? He was instrumental in getting both Stocker and Dow from Carlton to St Kilda. He was also influential in getting Anthony Caminiti from Carlton’s Reserves to St Kilda, having received great reports about Caminiti from his son, Jack Silvagni.
As SOS was also influential in getting many ex GWS players from GWS to Carlton, is there any chance of someone doing a composite Carlton and GWS team? However, there probably isn’t enough players for this team, especially as there’s hardly any, if any, Carlton players going to GWS.
As GWS are still in the finals, how about a GWS team of star players who have gone to other clubs? As good as GWS are now, I think they have lost more really good players than any other team in their 12 year history.
Rodney, you stumped me with that pair.
I recall Sean Charles at the first two teams, but St. Kilda? Sam Rowe I see played 99 games for Carlton, bringing up his ton as a Saint. He brought up the ton very quietly, so quietly I’d never heard of him.
Anon, as always over the last few years thanks for erudite comments.
A quick Q, Anon. Saints-Chancem in Jahr 2025?
Glen!
Glen!
Nun, Glen, ich hoffe, dass es St Kilda nachstes Jar gut geht. Sie haben das Jahr 2024 gut abgeschlossen und eine endgultige Geburt im Jahr 2025 ist definitiv moglich. Ross Lyon hat in St Kilda noch unerledigte Aufgaben undhofft, dass sie ihre Durststrecke in der Premier League uberstechen konneny, solange er noch Trainer ist. Wenn es im Jahr 2025 keine Flagge gibt, dann vielleicht im Jahr 2030. Vor Allen: St Kilda: Hoffen Sie nicht, denken Sie nicht, tun Sie es!
Danke Anon. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, warum Sie Sagen, wenn nicht 2025, dann 2030.
Was ist mit 2026, 2027, usw.?
Viel gluck den hielegen.
Prost,
Glen!
It’s easier to go back to English as I know what I’ve typed gets lost in translation. What I meant was it’s highly unlikely that St Kilda will be Premiers in 2025. Finals would be acceptable, but as Ross Lyon has unfinished business at St Kilda, a premiership by 2030, if not beforehand, is what the President is hoping for. I think they just need more luck with higher draft picks, as well as a successful winning game plan, which they produced in the last 7 matches of 2924. Of course, in hindsight, they should have years ago picked Bontompelli over Billings, Petracca over McCartin and further back, Judd over Ball. They will never be a destination club as one of the 9 Melbourne clubs, and of course, there’s Geelong in regional Victoria, where Geelong has been very enticing for players like Dangerfield and Cameron to return to their origins. Also, St Kilda unfortunately have never had any decent father and son selections to pick. Obviously, Geelong know how to win flags, but good fortune does play a part.
For example, after St Kilda won the flag in 1966, the Mornington Peninsula zone was then given to Hawthorn by the VFL. In the 1971 Grand Final, St Kilda led Hawthorn by 20 points at three quarter time, when it was 1 flag all. Now it’s 13 flags to Hawthorn and maybe counting to St Kilda’s 1. About the only time St Kilda were lucky was when Barry Breen’s wobbly kick went through for the winning point, late in the last quarter of the 1966 Grand Final. Like other teams, but those other teams have since won flags, St Kilda blew chances to win flags in 1997 at half time, the 2009 Grand Final at three quarter time and the 2010 Drawn Grand Final, late in the last quarter. I’ll forgive them for the 1965 Grand Final loss, due to the 1966 flag and the 1913 Grand Final was another blown opportunity. However, as Sam Mitchell has said, he doesn’t look back, only forward. I’ll try to that do to. It’s easier said than done. Only long suffering St Kilda supporters can relate to all of this.
St Kilda’s President is absolutely determined for St Kilda to win its second flag and will leave no stone unturned to achieve it. His philosophy is that teams like Geelong, Sydney (ex South Melbourne), Western Bulldogs (ex Footscray), Richmond and Melbourne all broke long premiership droughts this millennium, so why not St Kilda?
Unfortunately, very long suffering St Kilda supporters have been patient for too long. They’re tired of being told by supporters of successful winning premiership clubs to be patient and that “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen!” If only.
Having looked at the Footy Almanac Departures from St Kilda to Carlton, I think that Cain Ackland (41 games for St Kilda 2005-06 and 21 games for Carlton 2007-08) should be put on the extended interchange bench, to help Warren Jones in the ruck. The late Rod Galt could pinch hit in the ruck too.
Also, Brett Ratten can be one of the Assistant Coaches to Alex Jesaulenko, in addition to Ken Sheldon’s input on and off the field.
As far as positional changes are concerned, these Assistant coaches or selectors would be tempted to swap Val Perovic and Ian Aitken in their respective positions. I know Perovic was back pocket in Carlton’s premiership teams in 1981 and 1982 but he was a centre half back when he represented Victoria in 1978. Ian Aitken’s pace could be served in the back pocket. Paddy Dow could start in the centre, as he is capable of getting clearances, demoting Spiro Kourkoumelis to the sub.
As mentioned, Peter McConville would be shifted to the half back line. He could also be the Mr Fixit for the team. I would put Alex Marcou as the rover and Ken Sheldon as the ruck rover. Both can still kick their fair share of goals in those roles and these goals would certainly be welcomed if they were to come against The First Game of the Year in a Final team. Ricky Nixon can then play on the half forward flank, where he kicked 32 goals for St Kilda.
The wings are a problem. Neither Matthew Lappin or Craig Devonport are natural wingmen. Both are really half forward flankers, and Lappin played half back at the beginning of his career for St Kilda. However, for team balance, I would put Carlton wingman Blake Acres onto the wing. Dean Rice was a good wingman for St Kilda and could also play there. Ken Sheldon could then take Dean Rice’s place in the back pocket, as Sheldon was a good back pocket player for St Kilda. Val Perovic also played well as a wingman for St Kilda at the start of his career, but for team balance, he needs to stay in defence.
I’m really of the view that you put players in the position where they played their best football, unless there was a better option for that particular role on the field, or in other cases, you put that player in that position simply because there are no other options, such as height or a lack of forwards, defenders, midfielders or ruckman.
Otherwise, everything is ok with the selected Blue Saints team.
Following the recent delisting of Jack Carroll from Carlton to being picked up by St Kilda, it got me thinking of doing a St Kilda team of players, who all played previously for Carlton. There were enough players from the 1980s and onwards to make up the team.
Here is the St Kilda Blues team:
B: Ken Sheldon, Ian Aitken, Peter Brown
HB: Ricky Nixon, Sam Rowe (99 Carl 2013-18, 1 St K 2019), Ian Muller
C: Liam Stocker, Spiro Kourkoumelis, Greg Sharp (11 games Carl 1981-83, 6 games St K 1984)
HF: Aaron Hamill, Peter McConville, Sean Charles (1 game Carl 1998, 8 games St K 2000)
F: Alex Marcou, Alex Jesaulenko, Peter Fitzpatrick (9 games Carl 1978-80, 20 games St K 1980-82)
R: Warren Jones, Paddy Dow, Mark Arceri (17 games Carl 1991-92, 5 games St K 1993)
Int: Mark Buckley (27 games Carl 1982-85, 7 games St K 1985), Jack Carroll (21 games Carl 2021-24, St K 2025)
Captain Coach: Alex Jesaulenko
This team will play a match against the St Kilda Arrivals team, named by Rodney on 5 August 2024. He also was responsible for naming all the Arrivals to St Kilda from Carlton, which included all the players named in this team.
The match will be played at Moorabbin.
Entertainment will be the St Kilda and Carlton football club songs.
Free entry will be permitted for Carlton and St Kilda members.
Let’s hope for a good game of football without any major blues on the field.
As tomorrow is Spud’s Game between St Kilda and Carlton at the MCG, it got me thinking of doing a composite team of the greatest St Kilda and Carlton players. Preference was given to players who played from the 1950s onwards.
These players played for Carlton or St Kilda only, except Ian Stewart, Tony Lockett and Greg Williams, who played for other league clubs as well.
Some players were named out of position to be included in the team.
This is the Greatest VFL/AFL St Kilda and Carlton Composite Team: (Dies ist das beste VFL/AFL-Kompositteam von St. Kilda und Carlton)
B: Verdun Howell (St K), Stephen Silvagni (Carl), Geoff Southby (Carl)
HB: Trevor Barker (St K), Neil Roberts (St Kilda), Bruce Doull (Carlton)
C: Craig Bradley (Carl), Ian Stewart (St Kilda/Rich), Greg Williams (Geel/Syd/Carl)
HF: Darrel Baldock (St K), Stephen Kernahan (Carl), Wayne Johnston (Carlton)
F: Nick Riewoldt (St K), Tony Lockett (St Kilda/Syd), Alex Jesaulenko (Carl/St K)
R: John Nicholls (Carl), Patrick Cripps (Carl), Robert Harvey (St Kilda)
Interchange: Chris Judd (WC/Carl), Ross Smith (St K), Anthony Koutoufides (Carl), Mike Fitzpatrick (Carl)
Sub: Ken Hunter (Carl)
Coach: David Parkin (Haw/Carl/Fitz)
This team will play a pretend exhibition match against the AFL Team of the Century, excluding any players named in the above team, and with the next best replacements.
Venue: RSEA Park, Moorabbin
Any donations from the match will go directly to the Danny Frawley Centre Community.
Entertainment: Carlton and St Kilda club songs
Let’s hope for a good game of football that will showcase the best talent that St Kilda and Carlton have to offer.
As TDK and Silvagni have officially played their 1st game for St Kilda, having both crossed from Carlton and they both played well, I think TDK should play in the ruck instead of Warren Jones. I would also put Jack Silvagni on the half back flank, instead of Ricky Nixon.
Jack Carroll, who also played well for St Kilda 2 nights ago, having crossed from Carlton, can go to an extended interchange bench, together with Jones and Nixon.
Let’s hope that the latest group of Blue Saints continue to live up to both their ability and their reputations (particularly TDK and Silvagni) so all the long suffering St Kilda supporters can at least have something to cheer about.