AFL: St Kilda defender Callum Wilkie reveals how coach Brett Ratten is driving the Saints’ climb back up the ladder

There aren’t many more reliable players at St Kilda than defender Callum Wilkie but he says the key to the club’s success owes to a change of priorities.

Callum Wilkie is happy to toil away in St Kilda’s defence without much fanfare. Picture: Getty Images

St Kilda defender Callum Wilkie believes the pain, but crucial learning, that came with the Saints’ bitterly disappointing 2021 campaign is key to their uprising this year.

And coach Brett Ratten is central to that.

Much has been made of St Kilda’s club-wide, mid-season meeting in Sydney last year, where some home truths were delivered from all directions.

Ratten has admitted since that he, too, wore feedback and set about adapting, with one aspect being a greater emphasis on defence, which suits self-made success story Wilkie.

The 50-year-old remains out of contract but the shaky ground the coach appeared to be on after the Saints’ round 1 defeat to Collingwood is a distant memory as his team sits sixth with a 6-3 record.

Callum Wilkie is full of praise for how St Kilda coach Brett Ratten has adjusted to the Saints’ disappointing 2021 campaign. Picture: Michael Klein

“He’s been awesome,” Wilkie said of Ratten.

“He’s got a lot of good people around him and he just understands the game well – but he also understands the players and has good relationships, which is such a big part of head coaching.

“I feel like you’ve got so many different roles within a footy club that managing people and trying to get the best out of them, which I feel like he does, is probably the biggest thing.

“He took a big lesson out of last year as well, in terms of what our pre-season looked like and the messages he gave to us in 2021, and he probably had to reflect on that and it’s given him real clarity on his coaching.”

Wilkie, who was elevated to the leadership group ahead of last season, is doing his bit to encourage his teammates to embrace a defensive ethos with his voice and actions.

Callum Wilkie says the Saints’ improved form this year owes to a new-found dedication to defence. Picture: Getty Images

It’s working, because only four clubs have conceded fewer points than St Kilda in 2022, after Ratten’s men were middle of the road in that category a year ago.

“I feel like we are a bloody good offensive team and we’ve got a lot of offensive threats and talent,” Wilkie said.

“That comes naturally to a lot of people, like ‘Gresh’ (Jade Gresham), Jack Higgins, Zak Jones – all these players – and I’m not saying they’re bad defensively but I feel like our mindset has changed to, ‘Defend first, win contest’.

“The media likes to talk about how Saints footy is good to watch when we’re up and about, but it’s built a lot on contest and defence.

“You look at the top teams that have won premierships in the last 10 years, and they’ve all been top five, top six defensive teams, so that’s what we’re aspiring to be.”

Callum Wilkie took the honours last week against star Cats forward Jeremy Cameron Picture: Getty Images

Wilkie has played all 72 games since St Kilda plucked him from the SANFL and an accounting firm in the 2018 rookie draft, and he’s finished seventh or better in the club champion award in each of his three seasons.

He is on track to keep the trend going after another excellent defensive display in the Saints’ defeat of Geelong on Saturday night, including blanketing Jeremy Cameron and winning 10 disposals in the third term.

Wilkie continues to sneak under the radar outside the club but he’s fine with that.

“I’m happy staying away from the limelight and being the underdog,” he said.

“I don’t have too many flashy qualities about me that the media likes to pump up. I just try to get my role done and help the team get the win.

“As long as the Saints are going well, that’s enough for me.”