In a rebuilding year for St Kilda, young players were handed more responsibility and wins were hard to come by. With a 4-18 record going into the final round, it was the club's worst season since 2001, but the path forward became clearer. At times the Saints were difficult to play against, thanks largely to the contributions of their accomplished senior players. The legacy of 2013, however, will be the games pumped into young players and the evolution of coach Scott Watters' plan.
What worked
The recruitment of Dylan Roberton and his role across half back, the return of Lenny Hayes in round 15 from a calf injury and his subsequent decision to play on for another season, the debut of nine players as well as an injection of games into some of the club's youngsters after an era where youth wasn't the priority, the rebirth of Farren Ray as a more aggressive and attacking player, and Tom Hickey's late-season glimpses alongside Ben McEvoy.
What failed
Unable to land West Coast tall Mitch Brown via trade, the Saints played with an undersized backline all season, which left them exposed against power forwards. In July, small forward Stephen Milne faced court on rape charges, casting a cloud over the club. While exposed to senior football, young players in their first and second seasons weren't able to account for the significant hole in the Saints' list created by poor list management between 2006 and 2010.
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Surprise packet
Jack Steven's potential was always well-known but the 23-year-old took a massive step in 2013 to play 22 games ahead of round 23 and become a key element of the midfield. He is a strong contender for the club's best and fairest.
Leigh Montagna and Nick Dal Santo were mentioned throughout 2013 as trade bait but are set to remain with the Saints as they rebuild. Picture: AFL Media
Disappointment
The Saints have four genuine small forwards on their list, and they combined for 48 games in 2013 kicking 61 goals. Milne was the most prolific, kicking 26 goals in 16 games. The trouble for the Saints is Terry Milera, Trent Dennis-Lane and Ahmed Saad haven't been able to contribute up the ground, giving their midfielders a chop out. It's a second skill other goal-sneaks around the AFL are developing.
MVP
Jack Steven with Nick Riewoldt to run a close second.
Best rookie/first year player
Tom Lee started slowly after three years playing for Claremont in the WAFL but started to find his feet in round 15 against Fremantle when he kicked three goals in his third AFL game. He went on a run of five games when he kicked multiple goals after that and will benefit from another full pre-season over summer.
Best win
The nine-point win over Carlton in round seven.
Low point
Versus Geelong in round 18, the Saints were blown away by 101 points after scoring just five behinds in the second half. They also had to contend with rape charges being laid against Milne and later, Saad returning a positive drug test and taking a provisional suspension.
What needs to improve
Consistency within games. The Saints lost six games by a margin under three goals and a further three by less than 31 points. They also need to make big additions to their playing list, a point emphasised by Watters all season.
Who's done
Justin Koschitzke, Jason Blake, Stephen Milne.
What they need
The Saints' glaring deficiency remains a key defender with injuries plaguing their tall stocks this year and the retirement of Blake removing a back-up option. Watters has been strong all year on the club's need to improve its list after the Ross Lyon era and a period of salary cap squeeze caused lasting holes and a lack of players around the 50-100 game mark. More midfield depth is also likely to be on their wish list come the free agency/trade period with their attitude expected to be aggressive.
Darcy says
"What a fall from grace for this team, grand final three years ago to just four victories this year. The fact that their aging players are still very much their best players is a concern.
“I just think there have been some mixed messages coming out of St Kilda. They have to work out exactly where they are at and let the people know.
“I can’t see any improvement. Short term – not a lot of joy coming Saints' fans way.”
