Gary Buckenara analyses St Kilda’s list after the 2017 season
ST KILDA hoped to lure an A-grade star to the club during the trade period with its two first-round draft picks. It didn’t happen. So what’s next? GARY BUCKENARA’S LIST ANALYSIS
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ST KILDA is in an interesting position.
No doubt the club will be disappointed it didn’t make the finals, but this group is still developing.
I think there is going to be a patience about St Kilda — the club will see where the development of its players can get to, rather than turning players over.
While there aren’t many genuine A or B-grade players on the list as it stands right now, there are enough B-to-C-grade players the club will be hoping develop into the upper echelon to push it into finals and eventually into premiership contention.
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Players like Jack Billings, Jade Gresham, Seb Ross, Jack Lonie, Luke Dunstan, Blake Acres, Jimmy Webster, Jack Newnes, Jack Steele, Josh Bruce, Tim Membrey and even Mav Weller — all these guys are aged 20-25 and are still improving and developing.
Then there’s Paddy McCartin and Hugh Goddard, who are very talented players, but have well-documented injury issues.
Add them to the more experienced Jarryn Geary, Jack Steven, Dylan Roberton, Jake Carlisle, Nathan Brown, Sam Gilbert and David Armitage and there is a bright future.
Ben Long, Josh Battle, Ed Phillips and Bailey Rice have all been drafted in the past year or two and haven’t had many senior opportunities.
St Kilda is also still finding out about the likes of Daniel McKenzie and Jack Sinclair, who were in and out of the team this year.
I think the club can give its young and developing players another 12 months and reassess at the end of next year going into a really strong draft in 2018.
So I’m expecting the list to be a bit status quo heading into next season.
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I look at their first half in that game against Richmond in Round 16 at Etihad Stadium — that was some of the most brilliant football I’d seen a team play all year.
They were unbelievable, and although they didn’t reach those heights consistently, it does show there is huge talent and ability on this list.
This club is on the right track, it’s just about nurturing that talent and seeing it develop into more consistent AFL performances.
That’s why I don’t think the Saints should be too active in the draft this year, and the club will probably take the minimum picks.
Obviously they were hoping to trade in an established gun from a rival club with picks 7 and 8 but that didn’t happen.
It’s a shame because that is what the Saints really need — a genuine A-grade star to propel them forward and make these younger guys walk a bit taller.
The Saints wanted Dustin Martin, Josh Kelly, Devon Smith and Adam Tomlinson and had early interest in Nat Fyfe, but didn’t get any of them.
St Kilda needs help now — and unfortunately it is not going to get it.
Draftees take at least three to four years to develop and become the game-changers this team needs.
Where there is a big change from this year to next is the retirements.
The departures of Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna will leave a huge hole in the club’s leadership both on and off the field, and the challenge for this group is to fill that void.
But I don’t see it as doom and gloom that these champions have gone — I think there are enough players there to take over the next level of leadership.
We’ve seen Geary take over the captaincy this year, but guys like Steven, Carlisle, Brown, Roberton and even Shane Savage, who was in a good system at Hawthorn a few years ago, are the players who will need to take on the leadership roles and stand up week in, week out.
WHAT THEY NEED
The list has quite a good balance to it.
It is well stocked in defence with the structure around Brown, Carlisle, Roberton and hopefully Goddard playing next year and the forward line has been well-prepared for life after Riewoldt with Bruce, Membrey, McCartin, Battle and even Rowan Marshall, who can play forward and in the ruck.
There are also a number of running defenders in Newnes, Geary, Savage, Webster and Gilbert, smaller forwards in Billings, Weller, Lonie and Gresham and midfielders in Steven, Ross, Steele, Dunstan, Acres, Stevens and Armitage coming back from injury.
Then there’s Billy Longer and Tom Hickey fighting for the No.1 ruck role.
I think the Saints can go best available with their draft picks this year and just add depth of talent, but with a premium on outside players with pace and skill.
But they will likely look for a developing ruckman after delisting Jason Holmes and Lewis Pierce.
UNDER THE PUMP
The pressure is on McCartin and Goddard — can these guys get themselves fit and stand up as key position players?
St Kilda drafted these guys in 2014 to be the key talls of the future to build around, but until now we just haven’t seen them consistently enough for one reason or another. McCartin has obviously had more opportunities given Goddard’s injury situation, but when fit he wasn’t able to lock down a spot in the forward line because his performances were too inconsistent.
Neither have really shown their talent so far and that’s where the big question marks are for me — can they stand up?
Dunstan is another one.
He played 16 games this year but spent time in the VFL because coach Alan Richardson preferred other players over him.
He was a high draft pick and has had his injury troubles, but I want to see a big year from him in 2018 — he needs to lock down a spot in the midfield.
The other obvious one is Nathan Freeman.
He’ll be into his third year at the Saints next year and fifth season on an AFL list but is still yet to make his debut.
He has finally put together VFL games, but his year again ended courtesy of injury troubles.
It’s crunch time now.
The ruckmen are under pressure heading into next season after a year where the No.1 mantle kept swinging from Hickey to Longer to Hickey and then back to Longer.
Which one of those two is going to make that spot his own?
I want to see Longer show more competitiveness out on the field.
BUCKY’S LIST CHANGES
Riewoldt, Montagna and Sean Dempster (before the season) have all retired, while American Holmes, Pierce and rookies Nick Coughlan and Joe Baker-Thomas have been delisted, which is more changes than I thought the Saints would make.
I don’t think any other player deserves to be axed before the start of next year — let’s see how they go after another 12 months.
CRYSTAL BALL
I don’t see St Kilda going backwards next year just because Riewoldt and Montagna have retired.
This team should be playing finals next year, it just needs to find that consistency of performance to elevate it from an OK team to a good team.
In two to three years I expect St Kilda to be challenging for top four and the premiership.
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