LINDSAY Fox is better known for his off-field achievements rather than his on-field exploits.

But throughout his 20 games with St Kilda in 1959, 60 and 61, the sturdy ruckman was an important member of a strong Saints side that was on the verge of greatness.

Standing at just 184cm, Fox was an old-style ruckman – with a strong leap and fierce competitive streak that translated into a multi-million dollar business career following his retirement.

After stints with Golden Point, Moorabbin and Brighton-Caulfield, Fox returned to St Kilda as president in 1979, a position that he held until early 1985.

A prominent Australian businessmen, Fox is chairman of his family-owned trucking and logistics company Linfox.

How closely do you still follow the Saints?

Yeah, I go to a few games; not a lot but I go sometimes. I used to go a lot but was probably over saturated after I finished up as President in the mid-1980s.

Now tell us about your Presidency years.

Well it started out very tough.  We were in dire financial straits in 1979 and by the time we got out we still hadn’t won a premiership since ‘66 but at least we cleared the debt. So off the field at least we stabilised.

What is your enduring memory of the presidency years?  What was the most satisfying aspect of those six or seven years?

The relationships with the people we played football with, that has always been the strength of being a member of this football club.

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How do often do you catch up with ex-teammates?

Oh all the time - mostly at lunches and special occasions. Well so many people are dying and as they fall off the perch we want to make sure we said we should have done this last week when it was a day before they die.

What are your fondest memories of playing with the Saints in your playing days?

Still back to the people I played with. Alan Morrow as a team mate, he worked for me for 40 years. When he first came down from Leongatha we became mates and he is still a mate of mine 50 years on.

Brian Muir – he played in that team in 1955 in the Under 19’s; we are still good mates.

I remember when Brian Gleeson broke down at the practice match in 1958 at Olympic Park and did his knee.  He won the Brownlow Medal the year before and never played another game and I was there on that day. I remember it vividly.

Tell us how you got to St Kilda in the first place.

Well I lived near the football ground. I was zoned to the club.

I understand you were a Carlton supporter as a child. Do you have any lingering loyalties to the Blues?

No, no, no – I used to wear a number 13 jumper which was Chooka (Jack) Howell and Ollie Grieve was the full back and I was there the day John Coleman played his first game on Ollie Grieve and he kicked five goals.
If you had to compare yourself to a player in today’s game, who would you compare yourself to?

It’s a whole different game.  Today the physical fitness and the capacity of the players make us look like draught horses against racehorses.  So there is no way of looking at any other comparison. I wouldn’t make it at all in today’s game.

How would you go playing today?

I wouldn’t be able to slow the other fellas down. They are all too quick!

Is it a fair comment to suggest that St Kilda is about the people and the camaraderie within the club rather than the external perception of the club?

Yes. We have to adopt an attitude of united we stand, divided we fall. Football clubs all come back to how close they work and play together.  If you work and play together you will build up strength that is beyond your normal capacity but if you have a lack of communication or a lack of commitment you are then in a case where you are only as strong as the weakest link.

If you are brought up with good parents and they set the standards that you have; you need exactly the same thing in a football club where the committee act in many regards as your parents and if you are going off course you kick them out. Simple as that.