Is Nick Riewoldt the latest victim of the dreaded St Kilda culture? As the season unfolds, it would appear as though the answer would be a resounding yes.
Let’s be totally honest here and say Nick Riewoldt is having a shocker. So are his teammates, as is his football club. For years now Riewoldt has been the glue holding the entire St Kilda footy club together. His on field brilliance, his work-rate and his leadership almost second to none.
The problem, however, is not Nick himself. He has led the Saints with distinction in every area since being the No. 1 pick in the 2000 draft. You simply don’t win five best and fairests and four All Australian gongs – twice as captain – for nothing. So what’s happened?
St Kilda’s heavy reliance on Riewoldt has started to take its toll with devastating effect, and it’s showing not only in his stats but his body language, an area never before in question.
His frustration at his teammates becoming more evident each week as they continue to butcher the footy in spotting up the captain. He continues to work tirelessly around the ground only to be let down by his teammates, again and again.
But if we delve a little further into his extraordinary decline, the immediate concerns are somewhat more alarming than just a drop in form. At the risk of being controversial, one would be forgiven if they thought that regardless of personnel in both the coaches’ box and on the paddock, the Saints will always struggle.
St Kilda has a history of mediocrity and a losing culture. Simple. Still, over the years they have played finals, even grand finals, but with no silverware since their one and only flag 45 years ago.
I know, I know, they were only a kick away from glory in GF1 last year and lost by a couple of kicks in 2009, but the reality is the Saints have a reputation as perennial underachievers, much of this attributed to their record of finishing last more often than any other club in history.
It seems though, that despite players of the quality of Nick Riewoldt and others, the potency of the club’s culture will over power even the best personnel available. Over the years the Saints have been blessed with some of the best players in history, too many to name here.
Great players, like Riewoldt that toil away week after week, year after year in an attempt to end the drought and deliver the Saints a long awaited second flag. That flag yet again seems miles away. It’s hard to imagine them ever adding a second trophy to their very bare cabinet.
Nick Riewoldt is showing his frustration, and why wouldn’t he? He has spilled an inordinate amount of blood for that football club and it seems now that even he knows that his magnificent performances will forever be quashed by the overriding culture that has engulfed his club for far too long.
It’s difficult to know what’s going on in his head but if, god forbid, he is starting to question the legitimacy of the Saints ever being a premiership force, heaven help them. For many years, great players have come and gone from Moorabbin and yet their premiership window seems forever closed.
As a neutral supporter at the ’09 grand final, I sat in the Saints members area on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I remember several of their fans leaving the ground in the third quarter saying, ‘We won’t win anyway so we’re leaving.’ And therein lies the problem.
The Saints as a club, their fans and now the captain himself appear to have succumbed to a couple of near misses, unsavory off field incidents and years of heartbreak that has brought them to the realisation that premiership success may forever elude them.
Culture is hard to change, maybe even impossible, but when an organisation has an inbred and deep seated view that regardless of effort, failure will preside, the drought may never end.
I suspect it may have dawned on the skipper, too.
JR
Guest
Well Jessy, I can add another eye if you like, if you agree with the Roar Rookiie that the Saints are a one man band, will always struggle, have a history of mediocrity, have a losing culture. Its all in the article Not disrespectful? If you suggest the author is 'probably right'. The Club and paid up members would suggest you trade them in and go somewhere else
Razor
Guest
I too was fortunate enough to be at the nail biting 2009 GF as a neutral supporter. Had the game gone into overtime we might not be discussing the losing culture at St Kilda...I still find it amazing that some of the Saints supporters near me were leaving thru that 3rd quarter but there you go isn't that the whole point of the article??? Can a losing culture be changed to a winning one or is it passed from one generation to the next where it simply continues? I don't know but if it can be changed, what on earth are St.Kilda waiting for?
Jessy
Guest
Gee JR, you wouldn't be a bitter Saints fan by any chance. You are right about one thing though, the article is welll balanced. St.Kilda do have a history of mediocrity whether you like it or not and just incase you didn't notice, the writer said 'may' elude them, not 'will' elude them. Not one part of that article is disrespectful and had you read it properly, without your one eyed St Kilda view, you would realise that. Also, just so you know, I am a St Kilda fan and so are my family and lots of my friends and unfortunately, the author is probably right.
JR
Guest
A really balanced article, lets see One player holding the whole team together - no doubt you have played footy the Saints will always struggle - 1913, '66, '71, 97, 2009, 2010 were aberrations a history of mediocrity and a losing culture - based on? oh thats right your opinion premiership success may forever elude them - you also have a crystal ball? Culture is hard to change, maybe even impossible - the AFL and 40,000 members don't agree an inbred and deep seated view that regardless of effort, failure will preside, the drought may never end extraordinary disrespectful statement Clearly from a Roar Rookie who supports????
westie
Guest
This so-called 'culture' is generally perpetrated by inane comments as those made by The Cattery who I would assume supports Geelong which is a club that has a culture all of it's own that is nothing to be proud of.
Walt
Guest
How exactly does a club retain such a culture over such a sustained period of time? When new players come into the team, is there a special person appointed to take the lads out, get them hosed and party with young flesh. A hip thrusting "Duff-Man" if you will? Club sponsored by a local brothel? Russian DJs running the end of season trips? I just cant buy that a club has had these issues for so long and that they keep occurring. I know every club has headaches, but why do the Saints have a reputation like this?
ChrisH
Guest
Exactly, they've had a cultural problem (yes, that type of cultural problem) for a long long time.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Which St Kilda culture are we referring to? The one that gave rise to various off field happenings over the Summer? Or the one going back 133 years? Or are they one and the same thing?
Glen
Guest
Richard; good to see a Collingwood fan that understands St Kilda's woes. Truth be told, it's exceedingly rare to actually find a Collingwood supporter that can sympathise/empathise with our plight at the moment. A brief moment of clarity when there are so many fans of St Kilda who are ready to give up, and refreshingly, you're from the enemy :-)
westie
Guest
I spotted quite a bit of creative journalism there. I can't imagine too many Saints fans walking out at the 2009 GF, particularly having had to pay a gazillion dollars to get a seat. Careful Richard, your open minded and kind comments may be frowned upon by some of the more rabid Maggie supporters
Richard
Roar Guru
Don't give up on them too quickly. The road to success is paved with failure. The key ingredients in sport as in life are resilience and persistence. Collingwood has won 15 grand finals, but they have lost 25 (and drawn another two). The great American baseballer, Hank Aaron who broke Babe Ruth's world record in 1974 with 715 home runs, hit 1262 strike outs. This isn't the first time that St Kilda has disappointed and it won't be the last, but I don't believe St.Kilda have a culture of falure at all. They will refresh, revise and rise again. "If you want to succeed, you must learn to live with failure". Og Mandino
Walt
Guest
St Kilda supporters were leaving during the 3rd quarter of the 2009 Grand Final? Surely you jest? It was an absorbing, nail-biting slugfest. As a neutral supporter I couldnt look away.
Bazza
Guest
Couldn't agree more.