I had come out of this terrible school year and in 1963 I was looking for a hero and as often happened someone in the form of a new recruit bobbed up at just the right time.
Daryl Griffiths was born on 6th November 1945 so he was 3 months less than 4 years older than me. To my line of thinking he was just about my age. He was 17 when he arrived from Terang in 1963. He was about my height so I looked him in the eye. In the early weeks as I hung about the club, down at the junction, as I often did, he proved to be an easy going sort of character always willing to have a chat and certainly someone who hadn't developed an attitude that many did in their early years. I knew Daryl Griffiths would make it the first time I saw him.
By the time the practice matches were finished I just knew Daryl Griffiths would be a champion and I let everyone know it. Unfortunately the selectors didn't share my opinion so the gun full forward from Terang wasn't selected for the Saints for the first game of the year.
As was normal practice in 1963 I got there early to watch the reserves armed with my paper floggers and other paraphernalia. This was the early days of the Cheer squad and my brother and I were always there first to get the fence seats at the scoreboard end. I know I was there that day because I will never forget Round 1,1963. It is imbedded in my memory forever, because a young blonde giant called Carl Ditterich made a debut, which will live long in the memory of those fortunate enough to witness it. Pitted against a Melbourne debutante ruckman called Graham Wise, Ditterich was best on ground in an amazing first game. At the same time a medium sized centreman from Tasmania also made his debut for the Saints. I remember him taking a very heavy knock early, getting straight back up and finishing in the Saints best. Ian Stewart was destined to become one of the best players I have ever seen. What a round 1, and we won by 18 points as well. A great start to 1963 and I just knew Daryl Griffiths was going to be just as good as the other first gamers Ditterich and Stewart. I was that confident.
In Round 2 we headed over to Princes Park. Griffiths still wasn't in the team and I was not happy, but, nevertheless content because I was pretty sure Ditterich and Stewart would be great. Damn it the Blues beat us by 2 points and Ditterich wasn't best on ground this time, but there was a moment to remember. With Barassi on the mark Ditterich baulked him and ran around him to gallop off. The nerve of this 17 yr old tyro. You could see Barassi's face. Was he annoyed? Ditterich the hero was growing in status in only his second game.
Round 3 and we beat Fitzroy by 10 points but still no Daryl Griffiths, but the Saints were looking good. Round 4 and we beat the Pies by 24 points. Gee things are good and we havn't needed Griffiths yet but I was telling everyone , this kid is good, very very good. He was silky smooth in the twos.
Round 5 and the house of cards came crashing down, the Cats gave us a belting by 53 points down at Kardinia park. It was a long train ride home and I was sure that Griffiths would get a run next week and I told the despondent cheer squad of that sure fact on the way home. Round 6 and still no Griffiths , did anyone in the hierarchy know how good he is, I doubted it, but we walloped the Swans by 41 points so maybe they did know something about the game. Round 7 and we got over the fancied Nth Melbourne by 12 points. Things were looking good and the Saints were on a roll, but in Round 8 the Hawks knocked us off by 4 points at the junction oval in a low scoring game and still no Griffiths.
By this time I was convinced Griffiths was a coming champion. He was on fire in the twos and I was convinced the selectors could not keep him in the reserves any longer. It was time for the 25 Guernsey so ably worn by Keith Drinan only 6 yrs previously to reappear as a regular feature in a Saints side, and the selectors didn't let me down. Daryl Griffiths was to make his long awaited debut against Essendon at Windy Hill in Round 9.
The Saturday of Round 9 was a typical day at Windy Hill, bitingly cold wind and rain over the previous few days. Typical footy weather in Melbourne. It always seemed to rain more in that era. The Saints jumped Essendon early with Griffiths prominent on the forward flank, he picked the ball up cleanly in the early part of the game and kicked a running goal with his first kick in VFL football. A star was born and wasn't I "told you so everybody". Soon after he went in hard with his eye on the ball only to be flattened by Bluey Shelton. Down he went and the crowd was deathly quiet for a second quickly followed by a tirade of booing and abuse for Shelton the red haired maniac from Essendon. He had never been a favourite with St Kilda crowds and this incident alone sealed his fate with me for life. Griffiths was obviously down and out and the St Kilda fans knew they had seen a travesty. Well I had. How dare Shelton do this to a 17 yr old in his first game. After Griffiths was carried off the team lifted. You could sense the player commitment and we ran out winners by a healthy 16 points. In the conditions this was a fine win, but Daryl Griffiths was out for the season. We won 7 of the next 9 games in 1963 to finish with 13 wins the same number of points as Melbourne whom we had played in our first game for a win but in the second half of the season Melbourne had accounted for the Saints by 59 points at the MCG. I was worried about the First Semi Final and I was right. We were dreadful for 3 quarters and were 32 points down at three quarter time with a miserable 4.8.32 as our score. We rattled home in the last quarter kicking 4 goals 8 behinds to 1 Goal 3 behinds to fail by 7 points. We had to be content with 4th, but there were good signs. We had Ditterich and Stewart as recruits and Daryl Griffiths was looking good to come back strongly in 1964. Daryl Baldock ran equal second with Polly Farmer in the Brownlow behind Bobby Skilton and Yabby Jeans could Coach. We knew we had a team that could compete with the best. The Saints faithful had an air of confidence about them as we prepared for 1964.
Daryl Griffiths came back strongly in 1964. He settled into the half back line like he was born to it and was very capable in the Centre or on the ball as the need arose. Daryl played as a ruck rover in the 1966 flag side and was a great contributor. The Victorian selectors finally got on to him in 1967 and he was a State representative 3 times between 1967 and 1970. He was the Saints best and fairest in a great year in 1970 where we ran 3rd at the end of the home and away series only to be knocked off by Carlton by 62 points in the preliminary final.
I don't know whether it was the loss to Carlton or another factor internally with the club and it has long mystified me, but at the end of the 1970 season Daryl Griffiths cut ties with the Saints and applied for a clearance to go to West Australian side Sth Fremantle. The Saints tried to win him back to no avail and although refused a clearance he declined to play football at all, standing out for the season. I was devastated and when we lost the Grand Final in 1971 I was convinced that if Daryl Griffiths was playing we would have won that Grand Final. I got over it ,over the years, but in all honesty the loss of Daryl Griffiths was a momentous moment in my Saints orientated memory. I suspect Yabby Jeans was similarly affected. I know many supporters who still mention it on occasions particularly when replays of the 1966 Grand Final show a brilliant Daryl Griffiths notching up heaps of possessions.
I have never known the full story behind Daryl Griffiths leaving the Saints at a time when the club was poised once again to feature on that last day in September. Perhaps the story will be told someday, he was a larger than life hero for me and while I was disappointed I never lost my admiration for Daryl Griffiths as a player and person. He is truly a Saint's great and should be recognised as an important part of the Saints history. As a member of our victorious 1966 Premiership team he is a Saints legend.
By Allan Grant- A Saint for 53 yrs.
