#barry breen

A beautiful behind the scenes photo of Stephen Peacocke and Michelle Lim Davidson in S1 ❤️

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Rob Rickards and Noelene Kim are an unlikely couple, but have been able to find many things to bond over. They see each other's interests and capabilities and use this knowledge to strengthen their relationship.

Canonically in The Newsreader, Rob was an ex-VFL (Victorian Football League) player, playing for the St Kilda Saints. He had moved down from his childhood home of Echuca especially for this. We can assume that he might have started sometime in the late 1960s/early 70s (he definitely played the 1971 premiereship, as mentioned by Russell Street Bombing survivor Terry at the hospital), but by the late 1970s or early 1980s he had to quit his football career due to a hamstring injury. News At Six swooped him up as a "broken-down footy player" and helped transform him into a sports reporter in 1981, giving him a new lease of life and a brand new public image.

Although Noelene isn't traditionally a sports fanatic herself, she knows how much the sport means to him, and becomes well versed in the sport, under his teaching. No doubt the team becomes close to her heart as a result.

The St Kilda Football Club (also known as the Saints) originated from its original home base of St Kilda, and was founded in April 1873 - 151 years ago. Its colours are red, white and black, with the motto Fortius Quo Fidelius - "Strength Through Loyalty." To be a Saint, you must have a whole heap of loyalty, and a drive to keep turning up, which sounds just like our Rob.

They have only won a single premiership, when Rob's mate Barry Breen kicked a tie-breaking goal in 1966, seeing the St Kilda Saints gain one point over Collingwood and take home the premiereship. They came so close in the aforementioned 1971 game, but Hawthorn unfortunately beat them out.

Although Wikipedia brands them as "perennial underachievers", it's the team's ability to keep picking themselves back up that really comes through with our Rob, and how he is resilient to keep giving things a crack, even if things seem out of his league. He is proud of his team, and it's evident in the paraphernalia he has scattered all across his work and home spaces.

Go the Saints! ❤️

(All general pictures have been sourced from Google! To learn more about the Saints and to see the winning 1966 moment, click the links below!)