At 22 years of age, Tasmanian Barry Lawrence was the most sought after footballer in Australia in the late 1960s. Hawthorn, Carlton and then Hawthorn again had signed him, but their holds had expired as he remained in his home state.

Lawrence had a tough initiation to his VFL career and an early demotion made headlines. But he simply set his jaw and fought back via the backline rather than as a forward where he had made his name. The extent of his turnaround can be seen by the fact that he went on to captain the Saints and Victoria and was eventually picked in St Kilda’s Team of the Century.

His mental toughness was legendary. If hampered by injury he could still effectively play on one leg at full-forward, and if fully fit he could be used in defence. In the 1971 Grand Final, he famously shut down Peter Hudson; his inadvertent smother preventing the latter from a 150-goal season.

The snowy-haired full-back from Tasmania was a footballer ahead of his time. In an era where full-backs were usually bulky types who concentrated on bodywork and spoiling, Howell was a dasher who could out-mark the tallest forwards then zoom away.

In just his second year he shared top place in the 1959 Brownlow voting with Bob Skilton, but was denied a medal because of the countback system in place at the time. The injustice was rectified with a retrospective medal 30 years later.

Later in his career, Howell was shifted to full-forward and kicked nine goals there in his second game. It meant that Bob Murray could be developed as a full-back and St Kilda could afford the luxury of playing Howell, the state full-back for seven seasons in a row, at the opposite end of the ground.

In 1966, he suffered a broken jaw on the eve of the finals, but there was no way he was going to miss out on a famous moment. He was vice-captain on the club's greatest day and as ever and made a valuable contribution, this time as a half-back.

The burly utility affectionally known as ‘Cowboy’ was one of the most popular players – and characters – of his era. To those fans who loved him and his rolling gait, it is unimaginable that Neale could very easily have been a Carlton player.

Overlooked after one training session, when he accompanied a country teammate who would remain for brief career with the Blues, Neale returned home to South Warrnambool. Years later, Carlton admitted to him that he rued the decision.

As a Saint, Cowboy became a stalwart either as a full-forward or backman. It is etched in the club’s annals that he booted five of the Saints’ 10 goals in the 1966 Grand Final. When he galloped out of the backline he would leave opponents strewn in his wake.

No game better illustrated Cowboy Neale’s versatility than the 1967 match with Essendon at Moorabbin. Playing as a defender in the first half he held the Saints together and repelled countless attacks. At half-time, he was shifted to full-forward and kicked six goals in the third term and topped it off with two more in the fourth quarter.

The idolised Saint with blonde locks, Hollywood looks and a penchant for spectacular marks was one of St Kilda’s favourite sons, not just for the brilliance of his football, but also for the way in which he stuck with the club through thick and thin.

After 230 games and just 60 wins amid one of the club’s most desolate eras, he never played in a final. Despite being thrown many lucrative offers to join rival clubs through his time, Barker’s loyalty never wavered. He was one of, if not the most, devoted player to ever represent the Crest; the physical embodiment of Strength Through Loyalty.

Barker’s signature action was the superb leap over a pack that held no fear of the fall to earth that followed, which captured both the hearts of Saints fans and the shutters of photographers. It is often forgotten that he was also an outstanding tackler and excelled in that part of the game. In a struggling side he was often called upon to fill the roles of far bigger players, but his natural gifts would have made him an even greater half-back flanker if he had been allowed to stay in that position rather than constantly plug holes elsewhere.

Barker's tragic passing from colon cancer in 1996, aged just 39, rocked the Saints, but his everlasting legacy of strength, loyalty and kindness live on.

Neil Roberts was the true footballing hero. But there was much more to him than the fair hair and the tanned good looks.

As a forward in the amateurs he built an impressive goalkicking record, but found consistency elusive in League ranks due to unreliable accuracy. He was transformed into a defender of the highest order, playing at centre half-back and his game blossomed.

Within a year of taking on the defensive role, Roberts became a permanent fixture in the Victorian side and his standing in the game was further enhanced when he won the 1958 Brownlow Medal. For his last five years of League football, he was the club's captain and was a fine leader.

St Kilda came to rely on the reassuring sight of Roberts hauling down a finger-tip mark to quell yet another opposition attack.

Daryl Griffiths overcame an horrific start to his career when he was knocked senseless in his first full game against Essendon, but soon emerged as a star in his own right.

In St Kilda's greatest era he was sometimes overshadowed by the big names around him, but he was a champion as a half-back flanker, ruck-rover or centreman. His strength in contests, running ability and class made him the ideal player in an era where coaches increasingly sought footballers who could handle a variety of roles.

Allan Jeans had total faith in him, and Griffiths credited that show of belief as the major reason why he succeeded.

Griffiths had boundless courage, but it often landed him in trouble and he was concussed 10 times during his career. Although he left the League scene and headed to Western Australia at the young age of 25, he left an indelible mark on the game and his club.

In the days when Victorian grounds were often muddy and soggy, West Australians usually found it hard to adapt to the heavier surfaces. It was a generalisation that didn’t fit the footballing profile of Nicky Winmar, but then again he would often prove that he was a footballer who defied being categorised.

On the sage footballing advice of his father Neal, Winmar and his brother would turn on the hoses and pretend it was a muddy ground in Melbourne. Similarly one of his greatest understated assets was his supreme tackling honed in sheep pens on elusive merinos, while his shearer father was working nearby.

Winmar was one of the most sublimely gifted players of his era, and one whose influence barely wavered. In a further example of consistency, he also became the first Indigenous player to appear in 200 VFL/AFL games.

The proud Noongar man will forever be remembered with his stand against racism on a defining 1993 day at Victoria Park, after the match lifting his guernsey and proudly declaring "I'm black and I'm proud".

Ian Stewart was a classy footballer who never looked to be under pressure. Yet he was truly the embodiment of the duck on the pond, whose visible image looked calm yet underneath he would be paddling furiously.

Stewart moved to Victoria with the hope of joining fellow Tasmanians Darrel Baldock and Verdun Howell at St Kilda, but when other clubs knew he was in town he was besieged with offers. The shy 18-year-old was reluctant to even ask for a training jumper so he went out and purchased one for himself.

In 1965, he had to cope with the unexpected pressure of being the Brownlow Medal winner in a team on top of the ladder. His second Brownlow, in 1966, established his undisputed standing in the game, before his third in 1971 - won while at Richmond - entrenched him as one of the game's immortals.

Stewart has always believed that there was an underlying force behind St Kilda’s 1966 success. The unity in creating a new home base at Moorabbin from 1965 helped build cohesion and team spirit.

Lance Oswald was a brilliant footballer in one of the sport’s most glittering eras.

In an era of "stay at home" centremen, the wonder from Wangaratta was a free-ranging footballer who had a tremendous capacity for gathering possessions all over the ground.

In the early 1960s, he was rated the best midfielder in the land, and while some of the older-style critics were not in favour of his style, Oswald was ahead of his time in the sense that he was the sort of non-stop, running footballer who would have fitted in perfectly in today's game.

A prolific possession-winner and beautiful kick, the lure of the country drew Osawald back home, but not before two Best & Fairests, Victorian representative honours and 107 games in red, white and black.

From the moment he made one of the most dazzling debuts in league history, Carl Ditterich was one of the biggest stars of the game.

He possessed that rare and indefinable quality – presence – and whenever he was on the field, the rest of the side walked tall. The 'Blonde Bombshell' was a natural athlete and combined the height of a ruckman with the pace and agility of a ruck-rover.

For Saints fans, Ditterich's appeal lay in the fact that he took a backward step for no-one and tackled the game head-on. It was amazing that he overcame his childhood disability of knock knees, yet it forged in him a grim determination to overcome adversity.

Serious ankle problems hampered him in later years, but nothing could stop the 'Blond Bombshell' over a League career spanned almost two decades between his two stints at both St Kilda and Melbourne. He was an exciting and controversial footballer from start to finish, and made a rich contribution to the club's history.

In an era where running players came to the fore, Robert Harvey was – and to this day, continues to be – acknowledged as the man who could outrun all others.

A superb athlete blessed with innate dodging skills which could extricate him from even the most crowded situations on a football field, Harvey was a sight to behold in a career that spanned 21 seasons and 383 games. He had the rare touch of magic in the way he could dodge through seemingly impenetrable circumstances and emerge with the ball to set up something further afield.

The slender 16-year-old on debut grew into a strong, compact footballer whose running capacity was so great that few players could tag him for four quarters. Opposing coaches could only alternate taggers on him for a quarter at a time before they became exhausted.

Harvey surpassed Nathan Burke’s all-time games record in 2006, before adding another 59 games to his tally. It was proof of his longevity, and was funnily enough mirrored by his iconic haircut, which remained unchanged throughout his decorated career.

The No. 35 closed out a career few could only dream of, complete with two Brownlow Medals, eight All Australian selections, induction into the Saints’ Team of the Century and status as a Legend of the St Kilda Football Club.

Universally acknowledged as St Kilda's greatest-ever rover, Ross Smith was as game as they come, and feared nothing on a football field.

His impeccable fitness was streets ahead of others of his era, and he would be running just as hard in the final minute of a game as he had at the start. There were many who doubted that he would be a long-term success because of a perceived lack of pace, but he simply worked harder on his football and general fitness and willed himself to succeed.

His mental application to the game and his willingness to absorb lessons made him one of the best rovers in the league and earned him a Brownlow Medal in 1967. When he was made captain of the club, it was a tribute to his leadership qualities and universally acclaimed integrity as a person.

Such was his standing, the gentleman Smith was hand-picked by the VFL to sit next to Queen Elizabeth II to explain the many bizarre quirks and oddities of Australian Rules Football during one of her visits down under.

Very few could reel in a contested mark like the great Stewart ‘Buckets’ Loewe. The No. 23 held the record for taking the most marks in the history of the game (2503), before the remarkable feat was overtaken by his heir apparent, Nick Riewoldt.

But his qualities extended beyond just aerial brilliance and giant hands, with his work ethic and commitment to fitness legendary. Loewe was not a natural footballer as a youngster, but worked so hard on his game to utilise his physical attributes to the utmost effect.

Playing in the position acknowledged as the hardest on the field, he achieved a consistency of performance and durability at centre-half forward that was the lynchpin of St Kilda sides for over 15 years. By the end of his career, ‘Buckets’ had booted 594 goals across 321 games and earned two All Australian selections and a place in St Kilda’s Team of the Century.

Allan Jeans once said that when Darrel Baldock played well, St Kilda never lost. It is a testament to his level of performance that his presence helped largely to create the Saints’ most successful era.

He was dubbed ‘Mr Magic’; an appropriate title for someone blessed with incredible ball control and evasive skills. To be under six foot tall and play at centre half-forward is proof of his greatness, but while most references to him concentrate on his unique ball-handling skills, his toughness should never be forgotten.

He entered VFL football in a blaze of publicity. At 23, he had already captain-coached Tasmania and skippered the state side in the 1961 Carnival before the Saints secured his services.

Baldock was appointed captain in just his second year and with fellow Tasmanian Ian Stewart, formed an irresistible combination. His heroics would be enshrined not only in the 1966 Grand Final, but in the final home-and-away outing of the year which got the Saints into September.

The invincible performances of Bill Mohr ushered in St Kilda’s most optimistic era since its formation some 50 years prior.

The powerhouse forward led the club’s goalkicking from 1929-1940, slotting an almighty 735 goals across his 195 games in the red, white and black. Mohr became the first St Kilda player to kick 100 goals in a season – taking out the League Goalkicker Medal in 1936 – and remains just one of three Saints to achieve the remarkable feat.

Mohr's incredible goalkicking was a sight to behold. The boy from Wagga Wagga could boot goals from any angle, mastering the art from any distance, position or in-game predicament through any variety of kick.

Like his successor Tony Lockett would in later years, Mohr had the capacity to provide a spark of hope to Saints fans on even the darkest of days. Likewise, he became one of the most outstanding full forwards in an era noted for producing the greatest batch of goalkickers in the game’s history.

Dave McNamara's long arms and height may have given him the advantage over opponents, but it was his kicking that was the stuff of legend.

He came closer than anybody to the magic distance of 100 yards, but admitted in later years that he considered that mythical mark was humanly impossible. McNamara specialised in the long-forgotten place kick and his long leg and superb follow-through feature in a famous picture that is a footballing icon.

The big left-footer captained the Saints at the age of 21, but left a couple of years later due to an internal dispute. He spent three of his prime years between the ages of 23 and 26 in the VFA competition, where he was a cut above the rest and logged up prodigious tallies of goals.

Despite his disrupted career, McNamara had no trouble picking up the threads after lengthy absences and his biggest goal haul for St Kilda, 10 against Geelong, came when he was 35 years old. McNamara later served as club President, eventually departing the club after disagreeing with the move to Moorabbin.

There was only one Tony Lockett.

The player of his generation, the big full-forward from North Ballarat with vice-like hands was a deadly kick for goal, and when coupled with his pace off the mark and body strength, made him an unstoppable force. ‘Plugger’ became the greatest goalkicker in the sport’s history (1360 goals) and was dubbed “the Bradman of our game” by his great mate, Danny Frawley.

Plugger was the definition of inspiration and intimidation. His deceptive mobility was exceptional for someone of his huge physique, and allied with his innate goal-sense, were attributes that set him apart from the rest. The sight of ‘Plugger’ on the lead was one that brought joy to a privileged generation of fans, even amid a victory-starved era. For Saints, it was a dream to see him. For opposition defenders, an absolute nightmare.

With Lockett up one end and Frawley up the other, St Kilda’s line-up for the next decade was one that would consistently bring fans through the turnstiles. A footballing colossus, Lockett crossed to Sydney at the end of 1994 and eventually became the competition’s highest ever goalkicker with 1360 majors in 281 games.

From the moment he arrived at St Kilda Nathan Burke was identified as a natural leader and potential captain.

The helmeted hero was earmarked for greatness from virtually the moment he arrived at the club, and he never let anyone down in that regard. His versatility was demonstrated across his illustrious 323-game career through his ability to star as a winger, back-pocket, midfielder and forward. Burke was a natural leader – before and after his time as captain – and led by example through his toughness and bravery.

Burke's attack on the ball was without equal. The No. 3’s career was one of remarkable durability and aptitude for coming up trumps week after week, despite carrying injuries that would put others on the sidelines. Heavy knocks did take their toll and incidents of blurred vision led to the fierce competitor donning the helmet that became his signature look.

He held the all-time games record for the club before it was surpassed by his good mate, Robert Harvey, in 2006, but is in elite company as an official Legend of St Kilda, a three-time Best & Fairest and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Although he'll forever be remembered for his match-winning point in the Grand Final, Barry Breen was an exceptional all-round footballer.

He played predominantly at centre half-forward, but also excelled on a flank or as a ruck-rover. Late in his career, he performed at full-back with distinction. His most telling traits were the ability to grab a mark in a tight pack and burst clear; characteristics he carried all throughout his 300-game career in red, white and black.

Breen's career saw him rub shoulders with some of St Kilda's absolute greats, however he just as much of a star in his own right. His longevity through both the Saints' highest peaks and lowest ebbs speak volumes, and are at the heart of his standing in the club's record books.

Bob Murray was a classic case of a struggling forward who found his niche in defence. A superb high mark, he did not have a big physique and relied more on judgement and anticipation to outmark full-forwards.

He needed all of his wits to contain the second golden era of full-forwards that comprised Hudson, Wade, McKenna and Jesaulenko, but was still able to maintain his attacking style. Knee injuries hampered him in later years, but by then his reputation was well and truly established.

Predecessor Verdun Howell's move forward late in his career allowed Murray to blossom into a bonafide full-back. He was never more important than in the dying seconds of the 1966 Grand Final, with his courageous intercept mark sealing the Premiership triumph.

The broad-shouldered, strong-legged and big-hearted ruckman Alan Morrow was a battler through and through.

Although just six feet tall, Morrow found a way to outflank bigger opponents week after week. Possessing great fortitude and an iron will, he was a fine mark in contested situations and had a great leap.

For the entirety of his league career, Morrow wore an old knee bandage to shore up the leg he injured aged 15. In his last season in 1966, he spent most of the year in the back pocket, but the suspension of Carl Ditterich thrust him back into the ruck and he responded in typical style in the Grand Final.

Morrow's enduring perseverance was rewarded in what proved his last senior game, with the veteran ruckman clasping the Sherrin to the sound of the Grand Final siren. For a man who was no-frills and no-fuss, it was an exit full of style.

A centre half-forward and ruckman, Jim Ross shone through in an era when the rest of the team struggled. His three Best & Fairest awards are a fair indication of his talent.

Extremely light in build when he began with the Saints, his great spring and marking ability more than compensated for any lack of bulk. At just 26, he took up an attractive offer from Tasmania and went on to become a legendary figure on the Apple Isle.

Nevertheless, his impact at St Kilda left its mark. Ross was inducted into both the club's Hall of Fame and Team of the Century, cementing himself as a champion of both his era and his club.

Put simply, Allan Jeans is football royalty.

Jeans’ appointment as senior coach age of just 27 brought sweeping changes to St Kilda, instigating its most sacred era and putting an end to the longest Premiership drought in VFL/AFL history. ‘Yabby’ is widely regarded as one the most gifted orators ever to grace our game. His words still ring in the ears of noted football greats; from the spine-tingling three-quarter time Grand Final address with St Kilda, to the “pay the price” speech which delivered Hawthorn the famed 1989 flag.

Those who saw ‘Yabby’ as player described him as a sturdy battler with a sharp football brain that was often too fast for those around him. The same applied while in the coaching hotseat. Famously, Jeans once declared the Saints “could have gone harder” after keeping Richmond goalless for an entire a game – a feat last achieved in 1921.

It was the uncompromising mentality and insatiable hunger to succeed that would put the Saints on the road to Premiership glory over the next few years. Jeans retired in 1976, before making a return by way of Hawthorn to lead them to another three Premierships.