South Melbourne legend Bob Skilton opened up about his career, finals football and the club’s Premierships on Fox Footy’s Open Mike program on Monday night.
In a wide-ranging interview, the three-time Brownlow Medallist spoke about both his despair of only playing in one career final as well as his elation of handing over the Premiership Cup when the Swans won the 2012 AFL Grand Final.
Skilton also discussed his favourite Swans players both past and present, as well as which players from the modern era he believed resembled him as a player.
Skilton on his favourite player:
“No one will ever replace Paul Kelly as my favourite footballer,” he told Fox Footy’s Mike Sheehan
“The club asked me if I’d be happy (for Kelly to wear the number 14) and I said ‘Oh, fantastic!’.
“I’m not saying he’s the best or anything like that but he’s just my favourite.
“It’s the person he is and the way he went about it.”
On modern players who resemble him:
“He probably runs a bit quicker than I did but I think Kieren Jack is a little bit the same way.
“I just love the way he goes about it and he’s been wonderful for us.
“I like the look of his brother Brandon. He’s coming through and he looks good.”
On playing in just one final and never tasting premiership success:
“It wasn’t one of my greatest games but it was just great to be there and it was just great to get there.
“The fact that we’d won enough games to be there and to get there and to have that feeling of team success was terrific.
“When you’re playing a team game, the ultimate is team success.
“I’ve been invited to the Premiership Cup luncheons and everything else but I’ve never gone because I didn’t make it.
“I’d swap my Brownlows for the Premiership Cup.”
On his proudest moment in his football life:
“That (image) of the players up on the podium…that meant more to me (than any individual achievement).
“To be able to present that cup, and I remember when I was standing out on the ground holding it standing on my own, and I kept thinking to myself ‘I’ll wave this to the crowd – my team has just won!’
“To go 72 years literally with nothing and we didn’t have respect and then when we beat Hawthorn I stood there representing my club, or our club, and we had earned respect.
“I love my club and it’s been great.”
Skilton with the 2012 Sydney Swans premiership team.
