St Kilda Saints: 2019 fixtures, preview, list changes, every player and odds

Whether St Kilda was really on the verge of a finals campaign in 2018 is up for debate, but there was definitely a wide belief they were at least heading in the right direction.

However, by the end of the season things looked grim and Alan Richardson only has the coaching turnarounds of Damien Hardwick and Nathan Buckley to thank for keeping his job.

Paddy McCartin, Blake Acres, Jack Billings, Hugh Goddard and Ben Long all failed to make any real progress towards becoming the players the Saints need them to be, and while a lot of their problems were due to injuries they’re of the sort that can continue to dog careers.

St Kilda targeted some big names in the trade period but fell short on all but Dan Hannebery, arguably because nobody else saw the battle-weary Swan as a wise investment.

As a result the Saints go into 2019 with a list that looks no stronger than the one that finished 16th, unless the untapped talent already inside Moorabbin can somehow make its way to the surface.

List changes

In

Dan Hannebery (Sydney), Dean Kent (Melbourne), Max King (Sandringham Dragons), Jack Bytel (Calder Cannons), Matthew Parker (South Fremantle), Nick Hind (Essendon VFL), Robert Young (North Adelaide)

New kids on the block. pic.twitter.com/m6ee20SqTO

— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) November 29, 2018

Rookies

Callum Wilkie (North Adelaide)

Out

Ray Connellan, Nathan Freeman, Sam Gilbert, Hugh Goddard, Darren Minchington, Maverick Weller, Nathan Wright, Koby Stevens

Best Brownlow chances

Jack Steven $51, Dan Hannebery $151

Steven won his fourth best and fairest award in 2018 and finished equal eighth in the Brownlow – just imagine what he could do if his teammates lifted a bit and the Saints put a few more wins on the board.

In 2015 and 2016 Hannebery finished fifth in the Brownlow and was one of the most damaging players in the competition, but just two years later and he’s become one of the most damaged. Unless the medical team at St Kilda has access to the fountain of youth, odds of $151 seem optimistic.

Players to watch

Paddy McCartin, Jack Billings

It’s time for McCatin and Billings to stand up.

McCartin is a big man and they take longer to develop, but he’s had four years in the system and is yet to have even a moment that gives fans a reason to be positive about the future. To make matters worse, he isn’t compensating for his lack of marks and goals with forward pressure, averaging less than a tackle per match and ranking 642nd of the 658 players that took the field in 2018. Max King’s arrival is really going to up the pressure on Paddy.

And Jack Billings isn’t travelling much better. The third pick in the 2013 draft is a modern-day Richard Tambling, always compared to the man taken with the next selection which in this case is Marcus Bontempelli. It looked like Billings had found his feet in 2017 but last season was a step in the wrong direction and, heading into season six and the end of his current contract, he wants to start making a statement now or he could find himself on the trade table.

A last chance to watch?

Dylan Roberton, David Armitage

Roberton had been a rare positive story at St Kilda since crossing from Fremantle at the end of 2012, turning his game around and becoming an influential and creative defender to the point of being an All Australian nominee in 2017 and runner up in the club’s best and fairest award. But then disaster struck and the 27-year-old collapsed during the round four clash against Geelong, missing the rest of the season and having a device installed in his chest to try and determine the cause of an irregular heartbeat. Roberton isn’t out of the woods yet and, while it would be a huge loss for the Saints if he doesn’t play again, heart problems aren’t to be taken lightly and his health will always be the priority.

Scary moment seeing Dylan Roberton collapse with nobody near him #AFL #AFLCatsSaints pic.twitter.com/CXbaU62H3U

— Stats Insider (@StatsInsider) April 15, 2018

After 12 seasons and 167 games, David Armitage is likely to be heading into his final year of AFL football. He’s only 30 years old but seems to be out of favour despite managing 15 senior appearances in 2018, dropped three times as Alan Richardson looks for youth to take the group forwards. ‘Armo’s dedication to St Kilda can’t be questioned and he still gives his all every time he pulls on the jumper, but it’s hard to see him getting the opportunity to strut his stuff too often in the future.

St Kilda Saints’ 2019 list

St Kilda Saints’ 2019 Fixture 

Games played on

Saturday: 12
Sunday: 9

Teams played twice

Carlton, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Gold Coast

Jack Steven!

Is that the sealer?#AFLDeesSaints pic.twitter.com/GxN2j70hue

— AFL (@AFL) July 1, 2018

2019 Preview and premiership odds

Expectations have changed greatly in the past 12 months and not many people will be thinking St Kilda’s 2019 can go into Spring, reflected by the $67 on offer for the flag – equal 15th - and, to be honest, shorter than the reality.

The Saints unveiled their ‘2020 vision’ in the 2014 pre-season, a blueprint that would see them top four in 2018 and with a flag two years later, but with the first step already a failure it will take a miracle to get the plan back on track.

Richardson needs to find a way of extracting the best from every player at his disposal, not only to get wins on the board, but to keep his job, so expect to see him emulate the let-‘em-play style of coaching that’s flooded the market since Luke Beveridge brought back ‘free love’ to a level that hadn’t been seen since Woodstock.

If McCartin, Bruce and Membrey can all fire up forwards, Hannebery get back to his best and lift the midfield around him, and Jake Carlisle become an inspirational leader in defence, then this club can start delivering on its promise.

But that’s a lot of ‘ifs’.