ROSS Lyon is rightfully buoyant after steering an injury-ravaged St Kilda to a perfect 2-0 start to the season.

But there's been one big change from Lyon that has his side surprising many with their unbeaten start, according to ex-Saint Xavier Clarke.

Speaking on Yokayi Footy, Clarke said Lyon's experience was coming to the fore in his third stint in the top job.

"Like anything, as you go on and you get more and more experience as a coach or as a player, you change your ways and the way you approach things," he said.

"He admitted when he was at Fremantle he probably held the reins a little bit too much and he tried to control everything ... he's now putting more trust and letting his assistants have a bit more of a say on the way they need to play.

"One thing Ross was really good at, especially when I played underneath him, is his ability to be able to educate the game and teach players on the way the game needed to be played.

"But he's still got the same old swagger and he walks into the room and he's got a little head wobble.

"He is a hard coach, he is fair, he gives you a go and he hits hits you between the eyes, but he gives you every opportunity to be able to perform and play at AFL level which is great."

The Saints kicked off the Lyon-era with a 15-point opening round win over flag contender Fremantle, then backed that up with a 51-point thumping of the Western Bulldogs.

Chris Johnson told the Yokayi Footy team that he was also impressed with what his former Fitzroy teammate had managed to deliver so far, saying the new-look Saints were "actually showing up to play."

"The massive talking point leading into round one was about how undermanned St Kilda were, and they got the young blokes in like (Mitch) Owens and a few others in there as well and they have really stood up," Johnson said.

"From what I've seen it was the young blokes just having a crack and really getting their hands dirty and showing up really hard and really competing hard at ground level."

After two years of turmoil on-and-off the field, St Kilda is now within touching distance of starting a season 3-0 for the first time since 2010.

The Saints face fellow unbeaten side Essendon on Saturday night at the MCG, which doubles as a celebration of St Kilda's 150-year anniversary.

Yokayi Footy is broadcast weekly on Wednesday at 8.30pm on AFL.com.au, the AFL Live app, NITV and SBS On Demand