St Kilda got off to a blistering start in 2014, winning three of their first five games. But it was all downhill from there.
The team’s youthful squad struggled with consistency and injuries, and the club ended up finishing 18th. So what can we expect in 2015?
1. Winning is going to matter
While in 2014 it was debatable to Allan Richardson and the St Kilda fraternity around the importance of winning, in 2015 winning has to matter to St Kilda. With a blueprint for success in place, St Kilda would be well aware that they are close to toeing the line where losing culture overtakes youthful development.
The fine line in bottoming out appears to be in being able to drop, grab the draft picks and quickly rebuild a winning culture. Over the past two years St Kilda have dropped and collected the draft picks, now the need is really there to get this young group tasting success.
2. The Fisher Factor
The record does not really show it over the past two years but Sam Fisher is a vital part of St Kilda’s team and defensive structure. Though they have won only three of the 16 games Fisher has played in that time, it is the fact that Fisher has played only 16 of 44 games that is of greater significance.
At a time of year where every player is tearing up the training track, Fisher is tearing up the track. However, Fisher doing it is different in that he is pain free for the first time since playing a pivotal role in premiership contending Saint teams. These Saints are a different group and not premiership contending, but with a real need to start winning to instil belief, Fisher will help with both the belief and the winning.
3. The next Goddard
Last year it was not St Kilda’s top three pick, but its second pick that had the biggest impact on the season. Luke Dunstan was a draft day slider in the 2013 draft but proved all his skill to be a standout in 2014. This year Patrick McCartin is receiving attention as the number one pick, but it is again likely that St Kilda’s second pick grabs the on-field headlines.
Hugh Goddard has gone to a club that gives him a chance to get instant opportunities and both his pedigree and underage performance would suggest that chance is all he needs. While experts continue to talk McCartin pre-season, be sure to check Goddard as an under the radar potential first year standout.
4. Returning from injury
After an outstanding opening to his AFL career the season of Eli Templeton was ended far too early in Round 6 with an arm injury. For that reason St Kilda could look at Templeton like a new recruit again in 2015 albeit safe in the knowledge that they know what they have in the live wire small.
On top of Templeton, Dylan Roberton, Jarryn Geary, Luke Dunstan, Blake Acres and Jimmy Webster were all players who showed promise in 2014 but had their seasons cut short by injury. Full seasons from this group would be a significant boost to St Kilda being able to fight the season out all the way to Round 23, something that was a struggle in 2014.
5. The New Zealand experiment
They are still winless over the other side of the Tasman, but it is becoming clear that St Kilda are desperate to build on the footprint they have made in New Zealand. With part of the St Kilda off-season taking place there it seems only a matter of time before the yearly visit on Anzac Day for premiership points is expanded.
Looking ahead in 2015 expect St Kilda to fight for a second game on foreign soil starting in 2016. Right now it is not much of an advantage, but with the dimensions of the ground in Wellington vastly different, but as St Kilda improve that advantage can improve.
6. Fast start
Last year it is easy to forget but St Kilda was 2-0 and played some of its best football at the start of the season using the freshness and enthusiasm of its list to upset Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney. If they can replicate that same start then there is a real opening for St Kilda to surprise the competition in 2015.
The opening six weeks of the campaign could all be classed as winnable games for the Saints as they take on GWS, Gold Coast, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Western with only one interstate away game trip during that run. In what is likely to be a very even season, a bit of luck going St Kilda’s way could be all that the club needs to embark on a surprise 2015 run.
7. Forward movement
At one time or another in their respective St Kilda careers, Trent Dennis-Lane, Beau Maister and Rhys Stanley were regarded as the hope to partner Nick Riewoldt in attack. It was a symbolic changing of the guard as these three, links and hopes from the past, were moved on as McCartin came to the club.
McCartin likely is not the answer in the short term to the St Kilda goal kicking woes and even in the long term McCartin is the hope to replace Riewoldt as number one forward. St Kilda therefore still need a number two forward. They have hopes for the incoming Tim Membrey, but just where the St Kilda goals are coming from is the biggest question mark and red flag for improvement in 2015.
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