Almanac Footy History: St Kilda’s Bob Wilkie – what do you have to do to get a guernsey?

 

 

 

 

 

Our family friend and fantastic neighbor of my early years “Uncle” Len Stephenson took me to the footy virtually every time we were playing at the Junction Oval. He was a thirds committeeman but all through the 1950s the thirds played curtain raisers to the main game so while he was busy I had free rein in the rooms. I met so many people, interacted with so many players both thirds and firsts, so my memories of so many wonderful people are permanently embedded in my memory.

One constant in my memory is the ever-present Bob Wilkie.

I turned to Russell Holmesby’s book Heroes with Haloes, St Kilda’s One Hundred Greatest to refresh my memory a little. I think I know just about everything Bob Wilkie achieved but I wanted to read another perspective.

In that wonderful read, Bob Wilkie is named as one of St Kilda’s one hundred greatest.

The first line in the book’s description of Bob Wilkie is Bob’s quote,

“I’ve done just about everything at St Kilda except play full-back.”

So, let’s put his incredible service to St Kilda in some perspective!

Bob Wilkie played with the Saints from 1940 to 1942, then war service interrupted his football career which he resumed in 1945. He played till the end of 1951.Overall he played 117 games.

During his career he polled well in the Best and Fairest finishing third on three occasions. His other awards confirmed in Heroes with Haloes include Most Improved in 1945 and Consistent Player in 1950.

As a 19-year-old, he was a member St Kilda’s lightning premiership team in the “Patriotic Cup” in 1940. The Saints only Premiership to that stage. His trophy was donated to the club by his family. I believe there are at least two trophies in the club’s possession, Ken Walker’s appears in the glass trophy case in the foyer at Moorabbin. Ken Walker was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2010. There may be others trophies donated to the club, every player was awarded a handsome memento of that great win.

I believe Bob was made the 19th life member of the St Kilda football club in 1949. In 71 years of existence at that time the club had still not awarded many life memberships. I have not verified that but am told by Bob’s family it is correct.

Bob wore numbers 32, 29, 26 and 9 which he wore in 1945-1947 then again from 1949 to 1952. His family tell me his name is first on the current Number 9 locker.

When Bob retired at the beginning of 1952, he became active in club administration.

I again quote from Heroes with Haloes.

“Wilkie was concussed three times in practice matches and just before the start of the 1952 season doctors advised him to retire. He took their advice. It was the start of an off-field involvement that gave Wilkie more pleasure and satisfaction than anything he did as a player.”

From 1952 to 1955 he was assistant secretary before moving into coaching. In 1955 he took on the role of coaching the thirds and this is where I enter the picture in the history of Bob Wilkie. It was here as a five year-old I first met this lovely man who treated adults and children with respect. I was excited to meet him when Len Stephenson led me up to meet “the coach”. He immediately took time to speak to me and make sure I was welcome in his domain. As a regular visitor to the rooms over coming years it would never change.

Around 2011, I wrote a story for the Saints website about 1956. It was called a Decade to a Premiership and in it I recalled things I had witnessed and other stories told to me by my dad and Len Stephenson as well as a few players of the era. The following is an excerpt from that story.

“The Saints had finished last in 1955 with one win. Apart from Neil Roberts’ sensational third place in the Brownlow, we were a laughing stock. Losses were by huge margins and the Saints were regarded as a club with no heart. Bob Wilkie and others convinced the committee to go after Alan Killigrew, and armed with a tape of a Killigrew’s half time address at a Ballarat grand final, they were able to convince the committee Killigrew was the man for the job. It is folklore that Bob Wilkie, Graham Huggins and Alec Peak visited Ballarat with this newfangled tape machine to record Killigrew’s pre-game address, but they were unable to work it, and finally got it operating in time for the half time rev up. This tape was played on Channel 9 when Alan Killigrew died some years ago. It is a legendary piece of Saint’s history and a copy transferred to CD is now in the Saints heritage museum. This was donated to the Saints by Bob Wilkie Jnr.”

Bob Wilkie was instrumental in the recruitment of Alan Killigrew to the club. Killigrew brought a new enthusiasm to the club. Of course, history tells us his tenure was short and fraught with some disruption certainly in 1958 but Killigrew was the beginning of the new Saints.

Bob Wilkie’s influence on the Saints didn’t stop with the arrival of Killigrew. From 1955 to 1958 St Kilda’s Under 19 (Thirds) were curtain raisers to the seniors, so Bob could maintain his position as committeeman and Senior Selector with new coach Alan Killigrew.

In 1957 he coached the Under 19s to the Premiership.

 

 

 

In the middle of this photo we have Bob Wilkie as coach and on the far right second back row the neighbor who made my memories come to life, Len Stephenson the honorary “uncle” who took me to all the games. In the middle bottom row is Bob Wilkie junior with whom I was to spend many happy years at school. I didn’t get in the picture but I remember lurking somewhere in the background hoping and wishing I would get a look in. It was not to be. I treasure this photo which was given to me by young Bob who is still a close friend.

In 1959 the Thirds games were played at alternate grounds and the Reserves were made curtain raisers to the seniors. Bob stayed with the thirds so other official roles had to be relinquished.

From 1961 to 1963 Bob was appointed as Assistant Coach to the Seniors and Reserves coach.

I have heard from many people closely linked to the club and confirmed by the Wilkie family that Alan Jeans insisted that Bob Wilkie was to be his primary support person as assistant Coach and Reserves coach if he was to accept the coaching appointment. The only previous coaching experience Allan Jeans had was a brief role as reserves coach when he could not play on because of injury in 1960.  Allan Jeans’ mentors were to be Bob Wilkie and Alan Killigrew. The three of them remained close friends all their lives.

The firsts and reserves both reached the finals in 1961. This had never happened previously in all the club’s history. I remember the finals series clearly. After the firsts were beaten by Footscray in the First Semi Final my full attention turned to reserves football. The Grand Final was played at the MCG the week after Hawthorn won their first Premiership. There had been a draw in an earlier final putting the reserves Grand Final back a week. I still remember a good crowd in attendance at the MCG where St Kilda beat Geelong. It was a fierce, close game. One of my clear memories is Max Nowlam who was Captain of the thirds premiership team in 1957 being Captain of the reserves in 1961.

Because of that he had become a favourite player of mine. He didn’t play many games in the firsts but he remains to this day one of my favourite Saints players, “Captain” of two Saint’s premiership teams.

The team that day, thanks to the AFL website was:

1961 Reserves Premiership Team

Backs:                   Max Nowlan, John Kilpatrick, Geoff Elliott
Half-Backs:          Ray Cross, Tom McKay, D Caple
Centres:               Ray Walton, Rodger Head, Peter Burns
Half Forwards:   Ted Buick, David Presscott, Brian McMahon
Forwards:            Lindsay Fox, Graeme Lee, Hassett
Followers:            Bob Hay, Ike Ilsley.
Rover:                   Ron Muir
Reserves:             Hayman, John Kerley

 

As an aside Rodger Head is alone for the Saints in being a reserves premiership player and a senior one as well. It would be interesting to see how many other clubs have players who have achieved the same double. Ray Cross who would have been except for injury in 1966 was a great defender that day. I really can’t remember who was best that day. I know that Roger Head was dominant and that Lindsay Fox kicked a couple of goals but my memory fades after that.

In 1962 Bob got the reserves into the Grand Final again only to be beaten by Footscray. While I know I was there I have no clear memory of the game. He coached the reserves again in 1963 but didn’t make the finals as far as I can remember but by 1963 the Saints were beginning to look a very good team. We finished fourth on the ladder beaten in the first semi by Melbourne. We were on the march!

In 1964 Bob coached Moorabbin. He didn’t enjoy it and returned to his beloved Saints.

In 1965 and 1966 he returned to coach St Kilda Thirds and assist Alan Jeans and by 1967 was heading up the Saints recruiting focusing on the Ballarat zone.

I know that Bob continued to work closely with Allan Jeans as a friend and mentor and supported Jeans in a recruiting role while he was at Hawthorn but I remember many games at Moorabbin through the 70s and into the 80s making sure I touched base with the Wilkies in their normal seat in the Moorabbin Grandstand.  They were always there and always up for a cheery chat.

Arguably there were no bigger supporters of the Saints than the Wilkie family.

So, in the Saints 150th year I ponder the contribution Bob Wilkie has made to St Kilda Football Club and as the Saints Hall of Fame in our 150th year took place I looked at the list of inductees. I see why over the years every one of the members of the Hall of Fame was nominated and fully support those selections but equally I found it strange that Bob Wilkie does not appear on that hallowed list of players and administrators. In his own words he has done everything at the club except play at Full Back.

To satisfy my curiosity I spoke to young Bob Wilkie about whether there had been any nomination. He told me that Allan Jeans had nominated Bob but was told that there were others from the 1940s ahead of him. Jeansie was going to nominate him again but ill health got in the way. To support that belief, I remember a similar conversation with a club administrator at the 2010 Hall of Fame presentation when I discussed a nomination for Bob Wilkie.

Bob is more than a Saint from the 1940s. He was a player in the Saints first ever Premiership win in the Patriotic lightning premiership in 1940. He coached the Thirds and Seconds to Premierships and was a key administrator and mentor to Allan Jeans from 1961 till the 1966 Premiership and beyond. Bob gave continuing service at a high level to St Kilda Football club from 1940 to at least 1966 and into the early 1970s. This is more than 30 years of incredible influence at the St Kilda Football Club.

It must be an oversight that Bob Wilkie has not been named in the Saints Hall of Fame. If anyone deserves such recognition it must be him.

He has been part of my life from the early 1950s as a child in the rooms on Saturday afternoons to as a friend of his son catching up with him in his twilight years and discussing what else but Saints football. Those nearly 40 years of memories will stay with me all my life.

I fervently hope to see Bob announced in the Saints Hall of Fame. It seems to me to be an honour well deserved and one delayed far too long because:

“What do you have to do to get a guernsey?”

 

 

Read more St Kilda history and memoir from Allan Grant HERE

 

 

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