St Mary’s coach Luke Rayner says club is excited for new look in 2025 as star Harry Benson the latest to depart

St Mary’s has won two flags and made two other preliminary finals in the last five years, but a host of stars have departed — including a dual Mathieson medallist. But their coach remains excited.

Harry Benson (right) with the 2022 premiership cup. He is the latest departure for the Saints. Picture: Mark Wilson

St Mary’s co-coach Luke Rayner concedes the club’s expectations will be lower externally and internally after a brutal off-season, with two-time Mathieson medallist Harry Benson another “significant loss” for the Saints.

Benson will take his immense talent – which saw him win back-to-back Geelong league best and fairests in 2021-22 – to the QAFL for Palm Beach Currumbin.

St Mary’s had been aware that this move might be coming for some time.

The high-impact midfielder’s departure is another hammer blow to the Saints’ engine room which has also lost Joe Maishman, Damian McMahon and Kade Chalcraft since they bowed out in a preliminary final.

Goalkicker Sam Dobson also returned to coach at his home club Koroit, while former AFL listed forward Dion Johnstone (Newcomb), Harry Ling (Anglesea) and Nic Minchin (Murrambeena) have also found new homes.

Benson is among the departures. Picture: Mark Wilson

Rayner said the bar will likely be lower in 2025 for the perennial premiership contenders — who have won two premierships and made two preliminary finals in the last four completed seasons — but with that comes excitement.

“I think as natural competitors you’re naturally going to want to be as successful as you can possibly be,” Rayner said.

“I think the exciting part is that we go in with lower expectations, probably externally and internally, but with a renewed excitement about what the possibilities could be.

“Because there’s quite a bit that’s unknown, and that’s the bit that gets you excited and gets you sort of pumped for 2025

“We played 12 kids under the age of 21 last year, all benefited from anywhere between 0 and 12 games. So how much are they going to develop moving into next year and what does that look like?

“So there’s no ceiling on that sort of stuff and no real read on the type of impact that those players can have on our overall position, so there’s plenty of excitement and there’s plenty of possibility and there’s plenty of challenge – all those type of things are definitely there.

“Noone likes to lose players, but losing the amount we have, but also probably the quality we have, it just provides everyone with a bit of a fresh start and a bit of a fresh outlook.”

Harry Benson with his 2022 Mathieson Medal. Picture: Matthew Forrest

Two of the Saints’ signings in former Lara bull Bayley Cockerill and Finley best and fairest Charlie Lang will help fill the midfield void.

Former Essendon player Brayden Ham, Elliott Macdonald and Keidan Rayner are others who may get greater exposure alongside the likes of Jack Blood and Jarryd Garner in 2025.

“(Benson) is a super player, his CV speaks for itself. You can’t just replace players like Harry as you please,” Luke Rayner said.

“There is no doubt he will be a significant loss for our midfield group, but I guess what we are excited about is a different look in our midfield group.

“No Harry, no Joe, no Chalcraft, no Damian McMahon, so there are four significant changes that have been pretty consistent players for our club the last couple of years in our midfield group.

“Elliott MacDonald and Keidan Rayner went through their and played some tagging roles for us.

“Obviously Cockerill and Lang will be new to the mix and can go through the middle.”

Brayden Ham may be called on to fill the midfield void. Picture: Mark Wilson

Rayner said Benson will be welcomed back with open arms if things don’t work out on the Gold Coast.

“Harry had been pretty open from the get-go that he was potentially looking for other an alternative option for 2025, so certainly no ill feelings or nothing against the club,” Rayner said.

“We were certainly aware it was a possibility and as it turns out Harry has followed up on it. We certainly wish him all the very best. If it works out, great, if it doesn’t, he certainly knows he is welcome back with us.”

The Saints begin their pre-season next week with Cockerill, Lang, Ryan Pendlebury – the brother of Collingwood champion Scott – and the returning Paddy Dowling easing the pain of their list of departures.

There will also be a change in the coaching ranks with new co-coach Ben Boseley replacing dual premiership coach Glenn Keast.

“We’ll have a really completely different look and feel about our whole club to be honest,” Rayner said.

“Ben has been terrific early days and jumped straight into it, ready to go. So he will bring that enthusiasm and he is really focused on becoming as connected as he can to the players as quick as we can.”

Originally published as St Mary’s coach Luke Rayner says club is excited for new look in 2025 as star Harry Benson the latest to depart