A few doors down the road lived Len Stephenson, a Sergeant at St Kilda police station and a dynamo around the St Kilda footy club during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Len was credited with recruiting many a young player to the Saints through an effective policing policy of “see you at training boys or at the watch-house!"
Len was a Thirds’ committee man so he spent most of his time with the young players. His son, Max Stephenson, played a few games with the Saints in the mid 1950’s. Two doors further up was Bill Grant, local brickie and fellow Saint for life and lifelong friend of Jackie Mac, who along with his uncle and cousins, the Boas’ - Len (Senior), Bruce and young Len, were to be found every Saturday down at the Junction supporting the Saints through thick and thin, mostly thin I'm sad to say. In Carlisle Street the Cafarella brothers ran the best fruit shop in town, but come Saturday, fruit was secondary to the lure of the Junction Oval.
On the barren wet, windy Saturday afternoons during the 1950’s and early 1960’s, if you ventured on the terraces between the two grandstands you would find them all standing in the same spot, week in, week out, supporting their beloved Saints.
Occasionally Wells Eicke, Saints Captain and Coach in 1919 and 1924, would join them for a chat. Although an old man, he was to be a regular at Saints matches for many years.
They were all in awe of the great Harold Bray, Club Champion in 1945, 1947 and Captain in 1948. Jimmy Ross, Club Champion in 1949, 1951 and 1952 was something to be seen, a champion beyond words, and then there were the greats – Neil Roberts, Brian Gleeson and Verdun Howell, all Club Champions and Brownlow Medallists.
Despite the lack of success on the field, it was an era to remember as it saw the rebirth of a club which had been cellar dwellers for years. It began with that hot gospeller Allan Killigrew when he arrived at the club in 1956, closely followed by Allan Jeans in 1961, after two years under Coach Jim Francis. The Fifties had ended with the Saints poised to enter the finals for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Jack McKenzie passed away at the end of 2002. He had followed the Saints all his life. He had witnessed the rebirth of the Saints in the 1950’s. He was there in 1966, 1971 and 1997. My father told me of his passing only recently, and my mind turned back to the 1950’s and the times when I was a little boy – Jackie Mac would grab my arm and say - "watch Eric Guy go, gee he's tough", "watch this boy Jimmy Guyatt, he will be great", "how good a kick is Kevin Roberts?", "Bill Young will put this through, just you watch."
"Down at the Junction there's a football ground and that's where the Saints all hang around, so let's give three cheers for old St Kilda for this year the premiers they will be, though it's not yet in the bag we'll surely win the flag, beside the seaside beside the sea."
This was the Saints theme song of the 1950’s and early 1960’s, sung loudly on not enough occasions by Jackie Mac, Bill Grant, the Boas’, Len Stephenson, the Cafarella brothers and the two little Grant boys who are still Saints for life.
Farewell Jack McKenzie- A Saint for Life 1923-2002.
