St Kilda premiership legend Kevin Neale has died aged 78 after a long health battle.<\/p>\n
Neale played in St Kilda's 1966 premiership team and played all of his 256 career games with the Saints.<\/p>\n
St Kilda remembered 'Cowboy' Neale as "a truly beloved figure" in a statement on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
"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.<\/p>\n
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"Truly a larger than life character in every way, Cowboy was always able to engage with people across various generations."\ufeff<\/p>\n
Neale played a then-club record 256 games and remained involved with the club well after his retirement.<\/p>\n
His death comes just a day after AFL icon Ron Barassi's passing, leaving the entire football community in mourning.\ufeff<\/p>\n
MORE TO COME<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"