Barry Breen at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Saints’ 1966 flag. Inset: Breen’s famous point and the ‘Weg’ premiership poster.
It remains one of the most famous premierships in VFL/AFL history.
But unfortunately for St Kilda, the cup claimed in the 1966 grand final triumph also continues to be the sole occupant of its trophy cabinet.
As part of the Saints’ 150th anniversary celebrations, the iconic 57-year-old match will be screened at the Palais Theatre on Thursday night in the middle of its St Kilda heartland.
And the man central to the folklore of the 1966 flag will also be in attendance – Barry Breen.
Breen was the player who etched his name into footy history when he kicked the winning point that delivered the Saints their biggest win by the barest of margins against Collingwood.
While Thursday night promises to be a night of celebration and fond reminiscence, Breen admits there are always mixed emotions when talking about St Kilda’s only flag.
“It’s not bittersweet in terms of celebrating what we managed to do all those years go,” Breen told Footyology.
“But it is frustrating that it’s the only one. That’s the part that you struggle with because we’ve had a few opportunities over the years since then and just didn’t get through.
“And as time goes by it just becomes, not a millstone around your neck, but it’s a record you don’t want to have, so I hope the boys are working hard towards rectifying that.”
The cult of the 1966 premiership, for lack of a better phrase, is such a strong part of the club’s identity, that it might have even become detrimental to its pursuit of a second flag. Breen explained why he thought the premiership is still celebrated by Saints fans so much to this day.
“I suppose it was a one-point win, it was against Collingwood, I kicked the point, and that’s sort of one of the most iconic moments in the game, even to this day,” he said.
“So that builds up the mystery around the game and why it’s still hung onto, but I think the fact that we haven’t won one (since) is the main reason it keeps getting used and the fact that, since their inception, St Kilda hasn’t had a lot of success.
“It’s in the DNA of St Kilda that we go close, we blow up and wait another few years before we get another opportunity, et cetera, et cetera, so everything’s wrapped around that 1966 year and it won’t go away until they win another one.”
Breen had a magnificent 300-game career with the Saints, but he has no qualms about being remembered almost exclusively for that point.
“It’s not hard to understand why. Whilst there was another 300 games, including that one, I’m fortunate that I managed to do that and because of it I’m well remembered 57 years later – not many players can say that during the history of the game,” he said.
“In that way I’m fortunate … it’s given me a passport to places that I probably would never have got to, and met people.
“I just happened to be the recipient of the ball at the time that kicked the point.
“My teammates and all my mates today still shake their head … (and say,) ‘You can’t let it go’, and all that sort of stuff, (and I respond,) ‘It’s not me not letting it go, it’s you blokes’,” he laughed.
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St Kilda has come to close to winning a flag on other occasions, losing the 1913 and 1965 grand finals, and finishing runner-up in 1971 (a team Breen was also part of), 1997, 2009 and 2010.
Breen admitted witnessing the club’s three most recent grand final losses, and not being able to welcome a new group of members to St Kilda’s exclusive premiership club, weighed heavily on him.
“The expectation on those days is huge and you’re willing the side to succeed and ’97 we should’ve won that, but some coaching decisions fixed that, 2009 a couple of lucky bounces of the ball and game over, and 2010 that was a draw so could’ve gone either way and then we got smashed in the replay. But it weighs on you when you’re actually there,” he said.
“Some say to me, ‘Breeny, you don’t want St Kilda to win another premiership because you’ll be useless’,” he joked.
That sense of longing for an elusive second St Kilda premiership has been amplified in recent years with the Bulldogs, Richmond and Melbourne all breaking their lengthy droughts which added up to 156 years combined. But Breen also believed they could be used as motivation for the Saints to end their own barren run.
“You do wonder when it’s going to be our turn,” he said.
“You can always learn from clubs that are successful and how do they get there and what they create and how to look.
“Not all of it might suit you, but there’s certainly a recipe for success that has worked over the years and it’s stable administration, it’s good recruiting, good retention of players, good coaching.
“If you can bring all of those things together, which those sides did when they won the premierships, you’ve got an opportunity.”
Breen had the utmost confidence that under the guidance of the new coaching staff, spearheaded by Ross Lyon, that the St Kilda was “on the right track”.
“Ross Lyon has a definite plan and what he brings to the club will enhance them even further,” he said.
“They’ve got some great young players, (but) they still need two or three more. They need some bigger bodies in the middle of the ground to be able to break that part of the game apart, and if they can find a couple of those, they will compete very well and have a chance to do it.”
*The 1966 grand final will be screened at the Palais Theatre on Thursday night. St Kilda legends Barry Breen, Ross Smith, Ian Stewart and Neil Roberts will all be in attendance.
Click here to purchase tickets. Proceeds go to Lighthouse Foundation, a Melbourne-based charity which has been providing homes, tailored care, and therapy to young people and children facing homelessness, for more than 30 years.
