The party at St Albans Football Club this Sunday has been 50 years in the making.
The Saints stalwarts who gather for a reunion lunch will be commemorating the 1966 Footscray District Football League (now WRFL) division 1 premiership.
It was the historic first of five top-flight flags won by the Saints, who were founded in 1947.
They have won six senior premierships in all if the division 2 triumph in 1997 is included.
Saints reunion organiser Ian MacKenzie told Star Weekly the players that won the club’s first flag were revered figures at Kings Park Reserve.
“It’s our inaugural one, so we’re making a big deal of it,” MacKenzie said.
“It was a really big thing at the time because St Albans was such a new suburb.
“It was an outskirts area at the time with dirt roads.”
St Albans had a comfortable 31-point win over the now defunct Kingsville club in the grand final. The Saints won 11.22 (88)-8.9 (57) on a muddy day at Braybrook Football Ground.
It was a young Saints team that took to the field that day, which is why so many are still alive to attend the reunion.
The club president at the time, Vince LePastrier, who was looking forward to the reunion, died recently. He was the oldest player on the day at 31.
“Out of that team, only three have passed,” MacKenzie said.
“They were all 18 to 21, so that’s why they’re in their 70s and not 80s – it was a very young team.”
Two key inclusions in the St Albans 1966 squad were brothers Gary and Les Cameron.
They were initially denied the chance to play with the Saints by their mum, Lorna, who was against the serving of alcohol at the club.
The Cameron boys joined the Saints in their latter teens and played key roles.
St Albans was player-coached by George Haynes, who was the first “legend” inducted into the Saints hall of fame.
“I don’t think he’s going to be able to get there, which is real sad,” MacKenzie said. “He’s the legend at the club.”
St Albans will be launching a book focusing on the club’s first 20 seasons, from 1947 to 1966.
There are plans to expand beyond that but MacKenzie wanted that portion of the book available to be read by the players at the reunion.
“I’ve got most of the information from the paper of the day, which was the
St Albans Observer,” MacKenzie said.
“They had a full centre spread and profiled every player.
“I also obtained telegrams from the local councillors.”
If you would like to attend the Saints’ premiership reunion luncheon on Sunday, contact Ian MacKenzie on 0401 133 755.
