Ultimate player ratings: Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane rate every St Kilda player

Rowan Marshall dominated proceedings in the ruck last season, but there’s still one area he needs to improve quickly. JON RALPH and GLENN MCFARLANE rate every St Kilda player.

St Kilda AFL player ratings 2024

As Max King took his first steps back from an ACL tear as a St Kilda player a conga line of club greats bore witness to his comeback games in Sandringham VFL colours.

The club’s No.4 overall draft pick was being eased back into football in 2019 but the collection of club luminaries, coaches and hangers-on assessing his every move screamed of a familiar message.

The latest key forward to arrive at Moorabbin after Tony Lockett, Barry Hall, Nick Riewoldt and Paddy McCartin was St Kilda’s great white hope.

He was another St Kilda saviour.

Criteria: Prediction of their 2024 performance based on their 2023 season, expected improvement and role in their side.

Five years into his AFL career, King has 140 goals in 71 games amid the usual growing pains including injuries, goalkicking yips and controversy over whether he could hire his own personal coach.

His most recent season showed that for all his athletic gifts he has the grit required at AFL level - aborting shoulder surgery to play through the pain as he kicked three goals in the finals loss to GWS.

So amid it all he is very much on track - rated the fourth-best Saint in the Herald Sun’s 2024 player ratings.

At the top of that list are All-Australians Jack Sinclair (89) and Cal Wilkie (87) ahead of ruckman Rowan Marshall after his most consistent campaign so far.

And yet the most intriguing aspect of St Kilda’s list build is whether he will still be the club’s most impressive 25-and-under player by the end of the 2024 season.

St Kilda fans will want to have their cake and eat it.

And they might just be feasting if Ross Lyon can keep the club’s development program on track.

Saints fans will hope Max King goes to another level in 2024. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Owens provided many highlights last season. Photo by Michael Klein.

A club that once had a great white hope now has 8-10 kids of real quality coming through at the right time - including some of exceptional quality.

Mitch Owens was the football purist’s darling in 2023 - with 26 goals as a mid-forward who won the ball forward of centre at will.

And yet while he pipped Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera in the best-and-fairest finish, the club’s footy department couldn’t split them as the club’s best young player come awards time.

There is no reason Owens can’t believe he is capable of becoming a Toby Greene-style 50-goal a year forward, but simultaneously Wanganeen-Milera can follow Sinclair’s path as a future All-Australian half back.

Behind them are second-year mid-forward Mattaes Phillipou, tagger-half back-mid Marcus Windhager, this year’s early pick Darcy Wilson, plus the likes of Cooper Sharman, Anthony Caminiti, Liam Henry and ex-Blues Liam Stocker and Paddy Dow.

So St Kilda fans will be on kid-watch, while also drawing a level of confidence that stars Wilkie, Sinclair and Marshall have found consistency as well as elite performance.

If the kids can challenge King with a rush - and Jack Steele, Tim Membrey and Zak Jones can reclaim former glories - the club might really be going somewhere in 2024.