Pretty much everything until the final hurdle. A good run with injuries was crucial to the Saints going 20-2 for the home and away season. The defensive structure was without peer and conceded only 1411 points for the season. The next lowest was Collingwood with 1778.
Zac Dawson and Farren Ray exceeded expectations at their new clubs, while Sam Gilbert and Clint Jones improved their games significantly. Brendon Goddard, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna established themselves as elite midfielders and skipper Nick Riewoldt silenced any critics he had to become the premier forward of the competition.
What went wrong
The Saints had two surprise losses to teams that really shouldn’t have come close to them. But the Essendon and North Melbourne defeats were inconsequential to the ladder position. They had a third loss that was not quite as surprising but far more devastating.
Most valuable player
Riewoldt. Quite simply he is the most valuable player in the competition. The loss of any other player in the League could not match the significance of a Riewoldt-less St Kilda. Fortunately, he played all but one game and was a pillar of the team, earning him the thoroughly deserved title of All-Australian captain.
Coach's award for one-percenters
Lenny Hayes. He drew level with teammate Leigh Montagna averaging 6.2 tackles but the vice-captain gets the nod for his sheer tenacity at contests. If Hayes doesn’t win the ball, he manages to put pressure on the man with the ball every time. His courage and determination was rewarded with third place in the Brownlow medal.
Needs a big pre-season
David Armitage. Was expected to take the next step this year but couldn’t. In fairness it had more to do with the lack of injuries to the best 22 than any of his own shortcomings. The 21-year-old is hard at the ball and has a booming left foot but needs to pick up a bit of pace. If he doesn’t come on in 2010 then expect the new Gold Coast team to go hard for the Queenslander at the end of the season.
Overall grade: A
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
