BACK-IN-FORM St Kilda forward Josh Bruce says his VFL demotion – in hindsight – was just what he needed to reinvigorate his flagging season.

Bruce led the Saints' goalkicking with 50 in 2015, but laboured through the first eight rounds this year for a return of 13 goals and only three contested marks, after averaging almost two a game the past two years.

That formline was enough for the Saints to send the 25-year-old back to state league ranks for the first time in three seasons and give top prospect Paddy McCartin a long-awaited chance.

Bruce ran into reborn Carlton defender Liam Jones in his first VFL match, and kicked just one goal, and was goalless second-up before a four-goal opening half propelled him back to AFL ranks.

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"(Jones) probably owes me a case of beer for getting him up. He played best on ground on me," Bruce told AFL.com.au with a laugh.

"It was a work-in-progress for a couple of weeks there … then in the first half (of the third VFL contest), it all just started falling into place.

"I'm just trying to streamline that and maintain that energy and effort and hopefully that confidence maintains."

Bruce's game is built around a high work-rate, particularly for someone of 197cm, but he said his form slump owed less to a drop off in that area and more to a lack of "finishing".

"I wasn't holding on to marks I probably should have and wasn't kicking goals I probably should have, and just all-round, I was probably slightly out of form," Bruce said.

"It was good to get a little bit of a kick up the backside, so to speak, and go back and work on some things and get some touch back and come back in and go OK.

"At the time, you don’t think it's good, but in hindsight … it's a valuable commodity to have guys go back and work on their craft at potentially a lesser level."

Bruce's career was never in doubt, like Jones's was only a matter of weeks ago, but they are both back in their respective club's senior side – and thriving.

The key forward booted a season-high four goals against Adelaide in his return match before earning coach Alan Richardson's praise in last week's gritty win over North Melbourne.

This miss was the low point of Bruce's early rounds.

"I didn't single many out in the post-game (speech), but I singled out Brucey. I thought his ability to work against the numbers was really impressive," Richardson said.

"They're a very good group back there with (Robbie) Tarrant, (Scott) Thompson etc. … it was just a really grafting, hard-working game of footy from a forward, but was really positive for our result."

Bruce is adamant St Kilda can fit him, Tim Membrey, McCartin and Nick Riewoldt in the same team, if Riewoldt is used on the wing more like last year.

McCartin missed out on selection against the Suns, with Richardson describing his omission as 'unlucky'.