Where does your AFL club sit: Can new coach Ross Lyon resurrect Saints to lift 150-year celebrations?

Ross Lyon says he has mellowed since his last intense stint at the Saints. But a tough early fixture will put that to the test. See everything you need to know about St Kilda for 2023.

Glenn McFarlane

3 min read

January 2, 2023 - 3:00PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

St Kilda training at RSEA Park, Moorabbin. St Kilda senior coach Ross Lyon during todays training session. Picture by Michael Klein

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It’s hard to know what to expect in year one of Ross Lyon 2.0. St Kilda’s list hasn’t changed a great deal but the style and execution will almost certainly be fashioned in a different manner. In the club’s 150th birthday, the Saints will be compelling viewing no matter what happens as Lyon tries to put his own unique stamp on a team that needs to do better.

Stay tuned for more AFL club deep dives to come.

ST KILDA

Coach: Ross Lyon

Captain: Jack Steele (TBC)

Ross Lyon came so close to premiership glory as a coach that he could almost touch it. Can he take the Saints all the way to the top one more time?

What happened in 2022?

St Kilda started the season with a blaze of wins, claiming some good scalps, and appeared on track to play finals footy at the mid-year point of the season. At that stage, the Saints were 8-3, having defeated Richmond (33 points in round 3) and eventual premiers Geelong (10 points in round 9). Then something went drastically wrong. The Saints won only three games in the back half of the year, albeit one of them was against Carlton by 15 points in round 15. Losses to top teams Geelong, Sydney and Brisbane saw the Saints miss out on the finals by a game and percentage, an outcome that cost Brett Ratten his job.

Where do they finish in 2023?

St Kilda is arguably the hardest club to assess going into next year for a number of reasons. They have a new coach who will take some time to implement a new system and get a handle on the playing group. He has a new group of assistants including club favourites Lenny Hayes, Robert Harvey and Brendon Goddard. Given the Saints just missed the eight last season, their aim must be to play finals footy in 2023. It won’t be easy, but Lyon has a knack of getting a team to quickly gel, so anything is possible. Realistically, though, expect the Saints to finish in the middle tier of the ladder – anywhere from 7th to 13th.

Marcus Windhager has been predicted to take his game to a new level in 2023.

Biggest improver in 2022

Marcus Windhager took some of the biggest names in AFL football in shutdown roles in 2022. It showed he feels more than at home at the level, with his standout role on Lachie Neale raising eyebrows as he kept the Lions superstar to a season-low 16 disposals. Saints insiders believe shutdown roles are only the tip of the iceberg for Windhager, who is expected to take his game to a new level in 2023. He will be putting serious pressure on some of the Saints’ midfield mainstays. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera can also take the next step next season. Mitch Owens might not start in the Saints’ best side of 2023, but we suspect it won’t be long before he is in there for good.

The Saints will be looking for more bang for their buck with three-time premiership player Brad Hill.

X-factor

Could Brad Hill’s permanent return to the wing under his old coach be the move that reignites his career, and gives the Saints extra speed through the middle of the ground they so desperately need? St Kilda needs to get more out of the three-time premiership player, who is on more than $850,000 a season. This move could benefit the player but also the club, which has been looking for something different in the midfield mix. And don’t discount first-year Saint Mattaes Phillipou making a big X-factor impression in his debut year.

Coach status

St Kilda’s quest to become a more ruthlessly efficient club was the reason behind the decision to chase Ross Lyon as Brett Ratten’s replacement. Lyon has a four-year deal to guide the Saints back into the premiership window after a decade effectively treading water. He has already suggested he might be a little more mellow this time around, but we suspect that could all change when the real stuff starts.

Who is in last year of contract?

Daniel McKenzie, Hunter Clark, Jack Bytel, Jack Peris, Jade Gresham, Jimmy Webster, Leo Connolly, Mason Wood, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Oscar Adams, Ryan Byrnes, Seb Ross, Tom Campbell, Tom Highmore, Nick Coffield, Zak Jones, Jack Higgins.