‘You don’t
St Kilda premiership legend Kevin Neale has died aged 78 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
Neale played in the Saints’ 1966 premiership team and played all of his 256 career games with the Saints.
The club has remembered ‘Cowboy’ Neale as “a truly beloved figure” in a statement released on Sunday morning.
“Renowned for his great physical strength as a footballer, he was also blessed with exceptional skills for a big man which enabled him to play as either a key defender or forward,” the statement read.
“Truly a larger than life character in every way, Cowboy was always able to engage with people across various generations.”
Neale’s 256 games were a club record when he retired in 1977 having kicked 301 goals, with the record overtaken by one of his best friends, Barry Breen, who became the first player to pass the 300-game mark in St Kilda history.
Neale’s legacy was celebrated on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, with the panel reminiscing on the character that was ‘Cowboy’.
“He was an out-and-out champion for the club’s one and only premiership in 1966,” Sunday Footy Show host Tony Jones said
“You don’t get characters like him in the game anymore.”
Matthew Lloyd also lauded Neale’s contribution to the game with his ability to be a dominant force at either end of the ground.
“He kicked five of the team’s 10 goals (in the 1966 grand final),” Lloyd said on the Sunday Footy Show.
“They also say he was as good a full back as he was a full forward. Just a champion, they wish they had two of him.”
Neale’s health battle was “well-publicised” the Saints confirmed, with his wife Georgina his biggest supporter in his final years.
Jones caught up with Neale and his wife a few years back, with the pair detailing his health struggles on 9News.
“The memory loss is quite severe at this stage,” Georgina said.
His death comes just a day after AFL icon Ron Barassi’s passing, leaving the entire football community in mourning.
As tributes continue to flow in for the champion, there are calls to rename the premiership cup in Barassi’s honour.
characters like him in the game’: St Kilda legend Kevin Neale dies after health battle
