Sam Kekovich has been punished for long enough. For the past 40 years, the North great has been forced to look at the 1975 premiership team photo and ponder what could have been. Although the Kangaroos won the flag, their first ever, Kekovich missed the all-important snap shot the following day at Arden Street because he was a little preoccupied with a ‘member of the fairer sex’.

“I was going along so well that I thought I would transcend the level of conversation to a greater height. So I did to room 303 and as you can appreciate a guy at 25-years-of-age with the imminent success that was going to take place, and I thought no one in their right frame of mind would have the temerity of taking the premiership photo without the great Sam Kekovich in it.” Kekovich said.

“So quite frankly I said: ‘Ahh stuff it!’”

RELATED: Kekovich/Goldstein media conference

Keka was wrong and coach Ron Barassi decided to go ahead with the shot claiming he was ‘very annoyed’ when the flamboyant star failed to show.

“The only one of the great regrets I’ve got is not being in that premiership photo,” Kekovich said.

“With all the modern technology that’s available to them, I think Barass still refuses to put me in so that I still suffer to this day.”

To mark the club’s 40 year premiership anniversary, North has done what no one has done before; controversially superimposed Keka into the team photo.

Is it time to fix a part of North Melbourne’s history? Do you think Kekovich should be in the photo?

Here’s how it might have looked if he was available on the day.

North Melbourne will be honouring the players that made history in winning the club’s first ever VFL premiership, culminating in a motorcade before Saturday night’s clash against Hawthorn – the opponents in the 1975 Grand Final. More details on NMFC.com.au throughout the week.