Chris Cavanagh looks at how St Kilda can take the next step to play finals in 2018

ST KILDA has a nice list. But nice doesn’t always get you into the finals. Which young Saints must stand up in 2018 for the club to reach the next level? CHRIS CAVANAGH takes a look.

MANY thought St Kilda would climb into the top eight in 2017 but the Saints blew that opportunity on a number of fronts to miss by one game and percentage.

There are some problem areas but there is also plenty of upside in what is a young list.

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Alan Richardson will be desperate for the likes of Jack Steven, Jack Steele, Luke Dunstan and Jack Billings to lift their output and Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey to fire in front of goals.

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OH SO CLOSE

St Kilda has not played finals since 2011. In 2016 the side finished ninth on the ladder, missing the top eight by a matter of percentage points. Two losses in the final three rounds then had the Saints miss out on September this year by one game and percentage.

Surely that history will prove a motivator next season, which will be coach Alan Richardson’s fifth in charge. It is time for the Saints to take the next step and they know it.

LIST DEMOGRAPHIC

St Kilda got plenty of games into its younger brigade this year. The Round 23 side it put out against Richmond included 13 players with fewer than 100 games of experience, including six with 50 games or less experience.

There is plenty of promise among them, with the likes of Blake Acres, Luke Dunstan, Jade Gresham, Jack Lonie, Jack Steele and Jack Sinclair all 22 or under and showing good signs in their development. With another pre-season under their belts they should only further improve.

Jade Gresham is one of St Kilda’s young stars. Picture: Michael Klein

Jack Steele had a solid first season at St Kilda. Picture: Michael Klein

THE NEW ERA

With 623 games of experience walking out the door in the form of retiring duo Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna, the young Saints simply have to step up next year. While veterans who did have injury issues, the pair still played significant roles in the 2017 campaign. Riewoldt was the club’s third leading goalkicker with 29 majors from 17 games while Montagna averaged 25 disposals and 4.6 score involvements from his 16 games.

The departures will provide greater opportunity for others and the Saints will be hoping those opportunities can be taken with both hands. The club also had two top-10 draft picks - Hunter Clark and Nick Coffield - for the first time since 2000, and St Kilda is hopeful the pair can make an impact fairly quickly.

COVERING ROO

Riewoldt’s departure will give the Saints a new look in the forward half next year and it could prove beneficial. A lot of ball has gone through Riewoldt in recent years, which is only natural given his calibre as a player and standing within the club. But next year when the midfielders look up they might opt for some better options, and if key position trio Tim Membrey, Josh Bruce and Paddy McCartin present up well then opposition sides are sure to have their hands full.

Nick Riewoldt is chaired off after his final AFL game. Picture: Michael Klein

THE FORMER NO.1

Paddy McCartin looms as a potential x-factor for St Kilda next season. The 2014 No.1 draft pick has struggled across his first three seasons in the AFL, playing just 22 of a possible 66 games as he has battled concussion, injury and form issues.

But there was a reason he was a top draft pick and those who should know believe he is very much capable of producing some big things next year. The key forward stands 194cm, turns 22 in April and is out of contract at the end of next season. This is his time to shine.

JACK BILLINGS

Like McCartin, Jack Billings has talent to burn. The 22-year-old is now four seasons and 64 games into his career and had a breakout season in 2017, polling 11 Brownlow votes including three best-on-grounds after attracting a combined four votes in his first three years. The small forward also finished fifth in the Saints best-and-fairest, a sterling effort.

The only knock on him was his goalkicking, booting 23.36 for the year. If he can straighten that up, he will push his case for being a genuine A-grader of the competition.

GOALKICKING

It was not just Billings that had the yips in front of goal this year. A number of Saints struggled to find the big sticks and it proved costly. St Kilda finished the year with a scoring accuracy of 52 per cent — the equal worst in the competition alongside the Western Bulldogs.

It missed finals by one game and percentage and lost two games where it had more scoring shots. Enter Ben Dixon, who has been employed as a part-time goalkicking coach next year. The Saints will be hoping he can help bring about big improvement in that area.

DEFENCE

Goalkicking aside, the big area of improvement for St Kilda is defence. When you let your opposition kick 100 or more points regularly you are going to struggle to get wins on the board and the Saints did that on eight occasions this year. Only Fremantle (11 times), Gold Coast (11), North Melbourne (12) and Brisbane (17) were worse.

Premier Richmond conceded more than 100 points just twice throughout the year. It was a new-look backline this year, with Nathan Brown and Jake Carlisle entering the fold. The club will be hoping they can jell together better next year and find some greater consistency, which could have a profound impact on the win-loss ratio.