'Plugger’, ‘Banger’, ‘Spida’ and ‘Buckets’ said it all.

This was a decade of larger-than-life characters and even bigger moments.

We're taking a trip down memory lane to celebrate the ‘90s as part of our new Through the Ages series.

Here our contenders for a spot in the 1990s Team of the Decade forward line.

Tony Lockett

Games: 183 (St Kilda), 98 (Sydney)
Career: 1983-1994 (St Kilda), 1995-1999, 2002 (Sydney)
Goals: 898 (St Kilda), 462 (Sydney)
Accolades: Brownlow medallist (1987), 4 x Coleman medallist (1987, 1991, 1996, 1998), 5 x All Australian (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998), 2 x Trevor Barker Award winner (1987, 1991), 10 x St Kilda leading goalkicker, 5 x Victorian representative, E.J. Whitten medallist (1995), St Kilda Team of the Century inductee, St Kilda Hall of Fame inductee – Legend Status,  AFL Hall of Fame inductee – Legend Status

There’s only one Tony Lockett. 

Plugger was simply one of the greatest to ever play the game, whose strength, ferocity, surprising speed and deadly accuracy engrained him as one of the most magnificent full forwards of all-time. 

Lockett finished his illustrious career with a further six seasons at Sydney, earning himself status as the league’s leading goalkicker (1360) and a legend of both clubs.

Stewart Loewe

Games: 321
Career: 1986-2002
Goals: 594
Accolades: Trevor Barker Award winner (1990), All Australian (1991, 1992), E.J. Whitten medallist (1992), 2 x leading goalkicker (1995, 1996), St Kilda Hall of Fame inductee, St Kilda Team of the Century inductee

Very few players could reel in a contested mark like Stewart Loewe. 

Buckets owned the centre-half forward post for his entire career, with his aerial dominance and durability forming an incredibly dangerous partnership with the legendary Tony Lockett. 

Loewe became St Kilda’s No. 1 forward after Lockett’s departure, ending his career as one of the club’s best goalkickers and just the second Saint to play 300 senior games.

Nicky Winmar

Games: 230 (St Kilda), 21 (Western Bulldogs)
Career: 1987-1998 (St Kilda), 1999 (Western Bulldogs)
Accolades: 2 x Trevor Barker Award winner (1989, 1995), St Kilda leading goalkicker (1988), 2 x All Australian (1991, 1995), St Kilda Team of the Century inductee, St Kilda Hall of Fame inductee, Indigenous Team of the Century inductee 

The mercurial Nicky Winmar was simply in a league of his own.  

Fast as lightning, deadly by foot and armed with an extraordinary leap, the iconic No 7 awed the faithful across his 12 seasons in the red, white and black.  

His partnership with Tony Lockett up forward stands as one of the best in the league’s history, while he wasn’t averse to booting a few of his own – 317 in fact.  

Winmar became the first indigenous play to conquer the 200-game milestone and is rightly remembered as a champion of the club and the game.  

Peter Everitt

Games: 180 (St Kilda), 72 (Hawthorn), 39 (Sydney)
Career: 1993-2002 (St Kilda), 2003-2006 (Hawthorn), 2007-2008 (Sydney)
Goals: 299 (St Kilda), 67 (Hawthorn), 17 (Sydney)
Accolades: Trevor Barker Award winner (2001), leading goalkicker (2000), 3 x All Australian (1997, 1998, 2005), Rising Star nominee (1993), St Kilda Hall of Fame inductee

Peter Everitt was of St Kilda’s most eccentric characters, whose wide-ranging skillset was as numerous as his varied hairstyles throughout the 1990s. 

What couldn’t be argued was Spida’s raw talent and mobility both up forward and in the ruck, which earned him two All Australian nominations with the Saints. 

The imposing ruckman also boasted the ability to kick big bags, with nine-goal haul against the Cats one of his most memorable performances. 

Jason Heatley

Games: 3 (West Coast), 60 (St Kilda)
Career: 1995-1996 (West Coast), 1997-2000 (St Kilda)
Goals: 8 (West Coast), 163 (St Kilda)
Accolades: Leading goalkicker (1997, 1998)

While Jason Heatley’s career with the Saints was relatively brief,  his impact throughout the late 1990s was certainly felt. 

After coming over from West Coast, Heatley ousted Stewart Loewe as the club’s leading goalkicker in his first two seasons to become an important piece of St Kilda’s armoury. 

Although noted for his accuracy and potency in front of goal – particularly in the WAFL – Heatley also holds the record for the most behinds kicked in a game by a Saint, with 4.8 coming against Hawthorn in 1997.

Barry Hall

Games: 88 (St Kilda), 162 (Sydney), 39 (Western Bulldogs)
Career: 1996-2001 (St Kilda), 2002-2009 (Sydney), 2010-2011 (Western Bulldogs)
Goals: 144 (St Kilda), 467 (Sydney), 135 (Western Bulldogs)
Accolades: Premiership captain (2005), 11 x leading goalkicker, 4 x All Australian (2004-2006, 2010), Bob Skilton medallist (2004)

Before the bruising forward Barry Hall made a name for himself at Sydney and the Bulldogs, ‘Baz’ started off his well-documented career as a Saint. 

While on-field flare-ups resulted in Hall’s name becoming synonymous with the AFL Tribunal, there was no disputing his strength, power and deadly effect in front of goal. 

The best case of his firepower was in full display with his sensational three goals in a five-minute burst during the 1997 Grand Final. 

Hall mirrored Tony Lockett’s move to Sydney to seek a fresh start, before leading the Swans to its drought-breaking Premiership in 2005.

Matthew Lappin

Games: 55 (St Kilda), 196 (Carlton)
Career: 1994-1998 (St Kilda), 1999-2007 (Carlton)
Goals: 26 (St Kilda), 221 (Carlton)
Accolades: All Australian (2004), leading goalkicker (2001), Mark of the Year (1999) 

Although the bulk of his career was spent at the Blues, Matthew Lappin’s decorated career began with the red, white and black. 

The skinny flanker spent time down back and up forward, cementing his spot in the line-up after an incredibly consistent campaign in 1997 which guided the Saints to their first Grand Final since 1971. 

Lappin was traded to the Blues in exchange for two draft picks at the end of the 1998 season, where he went on to kick 221 goals and add 196 games to his impressive tally. 

Tony Brown

Games: 108
Career: 1995-2000
Goals: 62
Accolades: Margarey medallist (2001)

While most of Tony Brown’s time was spent as a crafty, hard-working rover, he wasn’t opposed to slotting a few goals himself. 

The 100-game Saint booted 62 goals across his six seasons, before becoming a joint-winner of the SANFL’s Margarey Medal in 2001. 

Brown was one of the most respected players in-house during his playing career; a trait mirrored today through his role as St Kilda’s Player Development Manager.

Luke Beveridge 

Games: 42 (Melbourne), 31 (Footscray), 45 (St Kilda)
Career: 1989-1992 (Melbourne), 1993-1995 (Footscray), 1996-1999 (St Kilda)
Goals: 41 (Melbourne), 29 (Footscray), 37 (St Kilda)
Accolades: AFL Premiership coach (2016), 2 x AFLCA Coach of the Year (2015, 2016), AFL Greek Team of the Century inductee

Luke Beveridge called several places home during his playing career, the last of which was with St Kilda. 

The more-than-handy rover proved himself throughout his four years at Waverley Park, which yielded 37 goals from 45 games. 

Today, Beveridge stands alongside the great Charlie Sutton as the only two men to coach the Bulldogs to Premiership glory. 

Craig Devonport

Games: 94 (St Kilda), 1 (Carlton)
Career: 1989-1995 (St Kilda), 1996 (Carlton)
Goals: 80 (St Kilda), 2 (Carlton)

While Craig Devonport spent the latter half of his career primarily as a defender, his first few seasons at the club were spent as an attacking forward. 

The Croydon recruit racked up plenty of footy during his time and snared several goals, once booting five goals in a quarter against West Coast.

Devonport was eventually traded by St Kilda in return for pick No. 19 in the 1995 National Draft, which was used to acquire Barry Hall. 

Russell Morris

Games: 93 (Hawthorn), 66 (St Kilda)
Career: 1984-1990 (Hawthorn), 1991-1994 (St Kilda)
Goals: 52 (Hawthorn), 32 (St Kilda)
Accolades: Premiership player (1986), All Australian (1987), AFL Greek Team of the Century inductee

A versatile player who could take command at centre-half back or centre-half forward and kick useful goals in the process. 

Russell Morris forced his way into the star-studded Hawks line-up as a youngster and played in three Grand Finals during the late 80s, coming away with silverware in 1986. 

Morris made his way to St Kilda in 1991, notching up 66 games in the red, white and black with a serviceable 32 goals to boot.