On this day in 2001, a tall, skinny, blonde 18-year-old kid from the Gold Coast ran out in a St Kilda jumper for the very first time.

In one of the most unceremonious starts to an AFL career possible, the young Riewoldt managed only three touches on a particularly dark day for the Saints, who were comfortably trounced by 97 points at the hands of Adelaide.

Little did the St Kilda faithful who were there that day know that the kid who only had three kicks would become one of the greatest players ever to play the game.

READ: Riewoldt wins Madden Medal

The white-blonde-haired forward would go on to make his name as one of St Kilda’s most loyal sons, sticking with the club that selected him through thick and thin and leading them more times than any other.

Taken at pick No. 1 in the previous year’s National Draft and standing at an impressive 193cm, Nick Riewoldt’s potential as an elite footballer was evident from the moment he arrived at the Saints.


Nick Riewoldt poses for a portrait in 2001

His exemplary professionalism and work ethic were traits he’d continue to carry throughout his 17-year career, and the boy they called ‘Roo’ built his entire game on both his reliable hands and his ability to wear down his opponents.

Riewoldt’s list of accolades is unrivalled on so many fronts and includes an all-time record six Trevor Barker Awards, five All-Australian selections, 333 games (the second most of any Saint), and the all-time record for the most marks in VFL/AFL history (2944).

Perhaps most significantly, Riewoldt holds the record for the longest-serving St Kilda captain in the club’s 145-year history, leading the Saints into battle on no less than 220 occasions.

When Riewoldt finally hung up the boots at the end of 2017, that same skinny blonde kid from the Gold Coast had become the face of a football club, the icon of a generation, and the epitome of St Kilda’s motto: Strength through Loyalty.