Jon Lilley could easily have made the most dramatic debut in St Kilda’s history.
Jon passed away on October 21 at the age of 78.
Named as an emergency for the 1966 Grand Final as a 19 year old , he had not yet played a senior game, but was in contention because John Bingley had suffered a corked thigh in the Preliminary Final.
Coach Allan Jeans made Bingley endure a demanding fitness test by battling it out against Lilley, a fellow defender, and others in one-on-one duels on the Thursday night before the game. A drama was played out on the wing at Moorabbin. As the late John Bingley joked in later years: “On the Thursday night Yabby Jeans was the closest man in the world to be punched by a player. We trained, and then he kept half a dozen of us out there. He paired us off one on one for about half an hour.”
Jon Lilley had played well in a reserves final three weeks earlier and was ever so close to being part of history.
A few years ago Lilley recalled: “I was told by a selector that I would have been in, if I had played a senior game before that, but it would have been a risk. In the end being close enough was pretty good for me.”
When the more experienced Bingley came through his test, he was selected and his job in the dangerous Des Tuddenham was crucial to our win.
For the tough, strongly built Lilley his brush with possible Grand Final immortality did not guarantee a quick entry to the senior side the following year. In fact he had to wait until the last home and away game to finally get a chance in the firsts.
“I was a slow adaptor and I had learned all my footy on dry grounds. I think they played me in that last game of 1967 to see if it was worth keeping me or not.”
He did OK . But in 1968 St Kilda decided to use ageing champion full-back Verdun Howell in a back pocket. Lilley thought it would put a major hurdle in his way, but Howell was injured early in the year and subsequently retired mid-season. Lilley went on to establish a solid career with 49 games from 1967 to 1972.
But his job with TAA caused a dilemma. He had to miss a game when work required him to fly to New Guinea “which didn’t go down too well.” Lilley later played for Oakleigh’s VFA side and then went to Federal League club Springvale coached by Brian Ford whose sister he eventually marreid.
A couple of months ago we spoke to Jon Lilley to tell him that as part of next year’s 60th anniversary of the 1966 premiership, we would be giving special acknowledgement to senior list players who didn’t play on Grand Final day. John who lived in Bright said that he did not often come to Melbourne, but said he would love to be involved. He advised that he was being treated for cancer.
Sadly he did not survive after a long battle, but the club did prepare a special item of acknowledgement to be presented to him immediately and Brian Ford gave it to Jon a few days before he passed away.
Teammate Barry Breen was also hoping to see Jon on a trip around Victoria, but Jon did not survive long enough for the two to catch up. A photo of Jon and Barry walking up the Moorabbin race after a losing game was discovered. Both looked exhausted and drained after playing a whole-hearted game. Breen, the ’66 premiership hero was on the right, and Lilley , the man who went within touching distance of a unique debut, was on the left.
Vale Saint Jon.
