ST KILDA has taken steps to reigniting its push into New Zealand, lodging a request to play a NAB Challenge match in Auckland next season.
 
The Saints do not host any games across the Tasman in 2016 after their three-year contract with Wellington City Council lapsed last year.
 
But the club, which failed to capture the imagination of locals in three years, is committed to reigniting the expansion.
 
"It's something that is clearly being talked about with authorities in Auckland," CEO Matt Finnis told News Corp.
 
"Auckland is the main commercial centre and two-thirds of the population are based in Auckland."
 
The Saints would play at QBE Stadium, which is primarily a rectangle ground, and it is likely the match would need co-funding from some level of government in New Zealand.
 
St Kilda board member Liz Dawson is based in New Zealand and would be expected to play a key role striking a new deal for the club to play in Auckland.
 
The Saints played their most recent match in New Zealand on Anzac Day last season, losing to Carlton by 40 points in front of a disappointing crowd of 12,125.
 
The club lost its previous two matches at Westpac Stadium to the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans, drawing crowds of 22,546 (2013) and 13,409 (2014). 

St Kilda has never given up on its New Zealand market. As first reported by AFL.com.au in September last year, the Saints were hoping to play a home and away game in Christchurch in 2016.