ST KILDA kept its season alive with a brilliant eight-point win against West Coast on Sunday but a far more unusual opposition almost derailed its season. 

Sea fleas.

The creepy crawlers have been discovered at Brighton beach, eating away at the flesh of unsuspecting swimmers enjoying a winter dip. 

Some of those who have submerged their feet in the water have walked out with their legs covered in blood.

It was a fate that almost befell some of the Saints, had it not been for a mass email sent from high performance manager Matt Hornsby. 

At St Kilda, players do paired recovery and go to whichever beach or pool they like, rather than doing it as an entire group.

"Me and Sammy Gilbert, we were actually on our way down to the beach and we got the email from Matt Hornsby, our fitness guy, and he told us not to go in," Stevens told reporters at Moorabbin on Monday.

"The whole group got the message about the young bloke who nearly had his feet eaten off down at the beach." 

The story of Sam Kanizay, the 16-year-old that Hornsby referred to, wasn't foreign for Stevens, who was instrumental in beating the Eagles, picking up 27 disposals and 13 contested possessions.

"A couple of weeks ago, one of my mates was down at the water and he came out and had blood on his feet as well," Stevens said.

"You really need your feet for this game so we were advised not to go down there," he said.

Earlier this season, Stevens had his Saints debut delayed by a bout of food poisoning after he ate "off chicken" at a hotel while making the trip up to Albury for a pre-season game against Sydney.

He lost eight kilograms during the week he spent in hospital.