Voice from past calls old Saints
IT has been 17,475 days since John Bligh last marshalled his troops at St Peter’s.
And it has been more than 45 years since the legendary local football figure conversed with the Saints premiership players of 1969 and 1970.
“The players I’ve had contact with say, ‘you’re joking aren’t you? I haven’t spoken to you since the late ’60s’,” said Bligh, who has arranged a reunion for three under-18s premierships dating back as far as 47 years.
“There’s been nothing done since those days.”
He has made “hundreds” of calls in a bid to reunite the St Peter’s players who won flags in 1969, 1970 and 1979 for a celebration at West Oval next month.
With the help of former Saints premiership player and club president Greg “Turtle” Welsh, Bligh has located a host of former household names.
“Bernard Hay is coming down from up country in Echuca,” said Bligh, coach of the back-to-back flags.
“The captain of the ’70 side, Ian Woolcock, is coming as well as Paul Fengling, Charlie Baron and a few others.
“Rod Young, who captained the 1979 side and Todd McKenzie, who was vicecaptain, will be there as well.
“Terry Timberlake is coming and he is well known. His father was a politician for the old DLP.
“There’s a few overseas who can’t get there and there’s been a few deaths, so we’re hoping publicity will fire things up.
“One of the players (Wally Kaanilowicz) is a professor in New York and we’re got a few in London who can’t make it.
“Once a few people get a hold of it, hopefully the word spreads.”
Bligh, who coached North Shore’s under-18 team to more than 10 premierships, was in his first season in charged of St Peter’s when it claimed the ultimate success.
Now 75, he has vague memories of the Saints breakthrough flag.
“We only lost 2-3 games that season from memory,” Bligh said.
“We won the second semifinal and went straight through to the grand final and beat Belmont by two or three goals.”
More than “50 per cent” of the side changed the next year, with Bligh securing a secondstraight flag.
The Saints defeated North Shore, the club Bligh would join in 1971.
Welsh, who played in both premierships, would be president of the flag in 1979.
“He was a really good player,” Bligh said of Welsh.
“He was a good mark and strong at centre half-forward.”
He is urging players and officials from the three premiership sides to be part of the reunion on August 12.
For more information, contact Bligh on 0448 657 947 or Welsh on 0417 224 177.