‘Really pleasing’: Ratten applauds Saints after tough win over Adelaide

The Saints have won seven of their first ten games this year and are hoping to finish in the top four for the first time in over a decade.

The Saints are on track to return to the finals this season. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It wasn’t pretty at times, but Brett Ratten believes St Kilda’s hard-fought win over Adelaide is further proof of the growing maturity of his squad.

The top-four aspirants were frustrated by the dogged Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, trailing by nine points at three-quarter time.

St Kilda was sixth on the ladder and Adelaide 14th heading into round 10 and an upset was on the cards when Adelaide led early in a pulsating final term.

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But Ratten was full of praise after his charges met the challenge with an eight-goals-to-three blast, with Max King’s six goals a highlight of the 14.6 (90) to 9.15 (69) win.

King reigned supreme on Saturday night. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Sometimes you can’t play perfect footy or it’s pretty ugly and maybe you don’t deserve to win but you find a way,” Ratten said.

“For us, over time, we’ve probably lost those games and this was really pleasing.

“We got there in the end, but the margin did flatter us a bit.

“We’ve had games this year where we’ve had quarters or halves that haven’t been on our terms and we’ve found ways to get the victory.

“Full credit to the players, it is pleasing because that felt like a game where we’d all be sitting back at the hotel after Hilly’s 200th saying ‘What did we miss? An opportunity’.

“And we didn’t – we got there.”

The performance impressed Ratten. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

On a chilly night where dew on the ground made conditions tricky, King was the difference in attack despite being on the end of some poor kicks inside 50 for three quarters.

On an evening when Adelaide struggled with accuracy in front of goal, dead-eye King was ruthlessly efficient with his six majors coming from a total of six kicks for the game.

Bradley Hill was superb in his milestone game with 30 possessions, a goal and a team-high 586m gained.

While his side’s ability to find a way to secure the premiership points in the face of adversity was the key takeaway for Ratten, the coach was also pleased with the efforts of some of his younger players in the absence of skipper Jack Steele and goalsneak Jack Higgins, who were injured in the round nine win over Geelong.

“We’re trying to find different formulas with how many types of players that play in different positions,” the coach said.

“I’m not sure we’ve found the right mix just yet but we’re working on that.

“There’s some upside … to watch some of our kids grow is really pleasing.”