The reunion started at 12pm, with players, old committee members, supporters and life members coming together to celebrate a golden chapter in the Saints' history.

Saints' premiership player Carlo Sordello was very impressed by the turnout, considering how far some people had to travel.

"We had most of the premiership players at the reunion, which was terrific," Sordello said. "The whole day sort of typified our club motto of strength through loyalty. We were able to reflect and celebrate what was considered a really historic premiership victory for the club.

"We had people travelling from interstate, Melbourne and regional areas attending and after a hot meal and some entertaining speeches, people mingled and caught up with old friends, the day rolled on and there was constant laughter around the room."

Sordello was one of the players who gave a speech - in it he paid tribute to the side's late premiership coach Eddie Arundell who he described as a "terrific bloke".

Arundell unfortunately passed away in 2017, but his wife Jo and their two boys Steven and Ned attended and were presented with Eddie's old number five jumper.

Tributes were also paid to the 1981 president Brian O'Loughlin, vice president Theo Buwalda and the side's trainer Brian Chalkley.

While premiership reunions are commonplace for football teams everywhere, the Saints' 1981 victory was more than just any old win.

Firstly, it was their first senior flag since 1969 and was by definition against the odds.

The Saints played the Rams previously in the qualifying final and were belted to the tune of 106 points and were given no chance according to the Wimmera Mail-Times.

At the halfway mark of the decider the Saints trailed the Rams by a hefty 39-points and even their most optimistic supporter couldn't have anticipated a win.

On top of that, according to rover Oscar Magee it was around 32 to 33 degrees that day.

Everything was pointing to a Natimuk win...until Arundell's half time speech.

"Eddie Arundell took the boys into the shower and toilet blocks at half time, we were getting thumped by 39- points," Sordello said.

"No one else was allowed in, only the players, no supporters, no committee members, no officials, he just had total belief that we could still win it.

"He told the young fellas to start running run, to run, run and run. He said we can win this, we can win this, and yeah as it turned out he was right.

"It must have rubbed off on us all and we went out and kicked eight goals in the third quarter and eight goals in the last quarter to win. It was a great day and we all went back and celebrated."

Magee has fond memories of the game played in front of a "good crowd".

"Being so far down at half time, 39-points and to get up and win was unbelievable," Magee said. "Don't ask me what happened, everyone reckons they could see it, but I didn't see it coming.

"We were just getting thumped everywhere and we just weren't good enough and then we got a few lucky breaks, after half time.

"We sort of moved Shane Irwin to centre half-forward, he's a gun player, and he came up from our juniors and Bruce Knight gave him a hiding in the first half and then we moved him out to the half forward flank and he kicked five goals, he turned the game really.

"And then a lot of our younger blokes started running, and yeah so he turned the game really."

Ruckman Don Schulz who Magee described as "someone who always gave his all" was also at the reunion and described it as a "fantastic night".

"It was a good win, I remember it like yesterday," he said.

"So all I need now is a St Kilda premiership and my life will just about be complete."