St Kilda can say they have officially turned the page on a 'financial scandal' that has lasted nearly 50 years.
Back in 1979, when the Moorabbin club was on the brink of collapsing, the Saints, led by then-president Lindsay Fox, requested some of the biggest names at the club to reach into their own pockets to dig them out of financial debt.
The selfless figures obliged, such as sole premiership captain Barry Breen and Trevor Baker, on the condition they would be paid back.
That condition was never met, until now, with veteran journalist Caroline Wilson revealing the positive news.
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"People who have been in footy a long time have known about it since 1979," Wilson said on Channel 7.
"The club was $1.45 million in debt. Under the presidency of Lindsay Fox, they settled with their creditors to the tune of $195,000, but some of the club's biggest names entered into a scheme of arrangements where they accepted 22 cents on the dollar.
"It's one of football's most famous stories.
"Well, I can tell you, and I found out this afternoon, that the wrong has been righted.
"So Barry Breen, probably the biggest creditor in footy, will receive almost $65,000 โ that's today's money, and that was the money he was owed.
"In total, it's around $145,000.
"But it's symbolic and, in my view, this is a monkey off that football club's back."
Wilson continued by saying credit must be given to current Saints CEO Carl Dilena and president Andrew Bassat, who have been pushing to right this wrong since 2023.
"The AFL had to sign off on it, because St Kilda are a club who has to get a lot of funding obviously," Wilson added.
"But this was the work of those leaders at the footy club."
Ironically, it comes at a time when St Kilda is up to their necks in attracting rival players to Moorabbin.
Reports have indicated that the Saints are heavily into Carlton's Tom De Koning, who is weighing up a $12 million offer over seven years.
Port Adelaide's Miles Bergman is also in the sights of the Saints, coming out of contract and has the lure of home, which ironically is around the corner from the Victorian club's headquarters.
Then there's Leek Aleer who will attract interest as he struggles to find a spot in the GWS senior side.
The Saints also went after Aleer's teammate at the Giants, Finn Callaghan, but opted to remain put.
The ending of the financial scandal comes at a time when St Kilda has started 2025 brilliant, claiming three wins, including scalps Geelong and Port Adelaide.
They will turn their attention to GWS in Gather Round.
