5 June 2015, St Kilda Football Club, Melbourne, Australia
In 2010 Danny Frawley was asked to make a speech about his close friend Tony Lockett at St Kilda's Hall of Fame night. Emotion overcame him and he failed to finish. Here is his next attempt, when Lockett was inducted as an AFL Legend in 2015.
Tony is the Don Bradman of the AFL. Like the Don his record will never be surpassed. He kicked 1360 goals nearly 900 for the mighty Saints.
He kicked bags of 7 or more 74 times 10 or more 22 times .
Plugger is also the best kick of all time. It was a shame he never kicked the ball to himself as he was a superb pass his accuracy at 70% is amazing when you think he played at Windy Hill, Whitten Oval, Arden St, Waverly Park and the rain soaked turf of Moorabin. There was no Etihad Stadium under the roof in those days.
Who could forget when Plugger kicked his maiden Ton in 87 and won the Brownlow in the same year, still the only Full Forward to do so with delivery best described as shoddy.
Plugger was a team Player best illustrated in 89 when leading up to the State of Origin clash all the talk was could Lockett and Dunstall play in the same goal square. The critics said no as years earlier Taylor and Roach at tiger land did not work. In the pre game meeting at jolimont house the team was still unsure whether the stars would line up together when the great EJ stood up and said Plugger has something to say. Tony stood up and said "Dunstall is full forward and l am playing in the pocket." Silence was deafening walking over to the G that day. You could have heard a pin drop as the Vics went on to win by a record 89 pts with Lockett and Dunstall kicking nine between them.
In 91 Big Tone did not play till rd 7 due to injury. After 3 games he had 34 goals on the board. The Saints started to give the supply he deserved thru Winmar, Harvey McAdam etc. Not only did he win his 2nd Coleman medal with 127 goals in 17 games he kicked 5 bags of ten or more (If he played 23 he would have kicked 175) He kicked the Saints into the finals for the 1st time in 18 years. In his first final he netted a lazy 9 goals and 5pts.
After 132 goals the following year he then started to get a few injuries and only a few people realized the pressure he was under to perform, He would Dry Reach in the toilets before every game because he knew the reason the saints won was the same reason why they lost rested on his burly shoulders and they could only take so much.
People and critics often say he should give something back to football he single handidly kept the saints afloat throughout the eighties which were a lot of the time winless bit he gave supporters hope much like Phar Lap did in the depression. He is a big part of the reason why we are here today.
I will leave you with Plugger's ability to perform when it mattered most it was in 95 State of Origin game v SA where the Great Late EJ did his famous lap of honour. Plugger asked EJ “how he was going “and EJ remarked “do not worry about me how are you going?” and Tony whispered “l will do it for you champ”. In the Bowels of the MCG EJ was in the rooms after his famous lap and asked his Chaperone how the Mighty Vics were going and the chaperone kept coming back saying that a forward line filled with stars such as Loewe, Lyon, Harvey and Ablett and Lockett out of the square we were always going to win, EJ then asked who is playing well the chaperone said’ it was amazing Ablett and Lockett would keep leading but the ball kept hitting the burly no 4 on his ample chest”.
Locket kicked 7 and went onto win the EJ Whitten Medal. EJ whispered in the chaperone’s ear ‘”l can die a happy man now cause l always wanted to know who the better player out of Ablett and Lockett was”
Saints fans knew long before that… Anthony Howard Plugger Lockett was not a superstar but a Super Hero.
On behalf of the ST Kilda FC, 17 years is too long …Welcome Home Mate.
