THERE is always a photo or two that goes viral in the pre-season. This was the first one. Hugo Garcia thinks AI played its part. Darcy Wilson knows it really wasn't enhanced, put reckons his best mate enjoyed the buzz. And there was plenty of it.

Wilson and Garcia have been on this journey since St Kilda picked them 24 hours apart at the 2023 Telstra AFL Draft. Together they represent a changing of the guard at Moorabbin. 

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The two have become inseparable and are key members of the young core raising the standards at the Saints, along with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who earned All-Australian selection for the second consecutive year, Max Hall, who was named the AFLCA best emerging player with Murphy Reid, Mitchito Owens and Marcus Windhager.

Garcia and Wilson produced breakout seasons in 2026. They both signed contract extensions a couple of months apart. And they were the two youngest Saints in the top 10 of this year's Trevor Barker Award at just 21.

Since then, they've got back to work. Unlike in Robert Harvey's playing days or even the end of Lenny Hayes' career, players don't disappear from the public's view across the off-season before they reemerged just ahead of round one. 

They seldom fade from view these days. Everything is documented on Instagram and TikTok, which is how we know these two have been taking care of business since St Kilda's season ended in August. 

"Both of us are very motivated to go to the next level again and you look across other leagues and other sort of sports codes, and you see the best players go off in the off-season and work one-on-one and look to get better," Wilson tells AFL.com.au inside RSEA Park this week.

"Not playing finals last season and watching it and seeing players our age playing has lit that fire in the belly; we really want to achieve that next season. We both didn't take our off-season lightly and we're really eager to sort of take that next step and play finals."

Garcia spent his time away from the club in the gym, working with strength and conditioning coach Chris Povey, who also trains Nick and Josh Daicos, Harry Sheezel and Windhager.

"Last year I was more just working on my speed work, but this year I've had a little bit of an overuse injury, so I thought I just wanted to work on getting bigger. Obviously playing midfield full-time can be pretty taxing on the body, so I wanted to get stronger in that department. That was my main focus this off season with Marcus Windhager," Garcia says.

Garcia also trained three times a week with Vince Dattoli from Vida Footy, along with his son, Sydney young gun Jesse Dattoli, and some former Carey Grammar students in Matt Rowell, Josh Weddle and Anthony Caminiti plus draft prospects Harry Van Hattum, Harvie Cooke and Sam Gayfer. Kicking, craft, boxing. Repeat. 

"I've been training with Vinny since I was seven years old. He is a big mentor of mine, so me and him are really close. I wouldn't be in this position without him, so he's been huge for me," Garcia said.

Wilson went back home during the break and trained with Athletes Edge in Albury, where speed and power was his focus. The goal was to break 10m per second, and he got it done. 

"I've been working with a coach for about five years. He talks closely to the Saints and they put together a program for me and that sort of tailors to what I need. My main focus is to improve my speed and agility. NBA players and all those sports codes have those coaches you can work one-on-one with. I was lucky enough to do that again," Wilson says.

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WILSON blocked out months of speculation around his future to produce his most complete season yet, turning his back on significant interest from a range of clubs, including North Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide before signing a two-year extension in July through until 2028, then finishing 9th in the best and fairest.

"I think we're just building something really special between us young boys and I can just feel a real connection. Even though we didn't get the wins on the board, it just feels like we are building towards something special. That was the main reason that I wanted to stay and yeah, achieve something special.," Wilson tells AFL.com.au alongside Garcia at RSEA Park on Wednesday. 

"Obviously it was a different year compared to other years, but I just had the right people around me. The club was really good in letting me make my decision and there was no pressure. My main focus was playing good footy and good team footy and I was hopefully able to do that. I know externally probably seemed like there was a lot of media pressure, but coming in here, it just felt normal week to week."

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Unlike Wilson, Garcia wasn't out-of-contract and wasn't the subject of daily trade discourse. But the inside midfielder showed his commitment to St Kilda's future by re-signing for two more years in October, rather than waiting until next year when his contract expired and cashing in on a potentially lucrative offer from Tasmania or using that as leverage. 

"It was pretty easy for me," Garcia says. "I'm similar to Darc; I'm just really excited about this young core; we're all such a tight knit group. I love the coaches, love Ross [Lyon], I love working closely with [midfield coach] Robert Harvey. I just feel like we're building something special here. And it may not seem like that externally, but I really believe that we're going to win a flag soon."

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GARCIA was rated by Champion Data as one of the most improved players in the League in 2026, but for a few days last May, the Greenvale product became a talking point in the media after he went viral for a different reason. 

Vision of Lyon giving him a clip on the interchange bench went everywhere, after he was subbed out of that game in the second quarter. Everyone had a say.

That tough love approach suited Garcia. And has worked wonders. He played all 23 games this year, averaged 23.6 disposals and ranked in the top 10 in the AFL for total tackles and centre clearances to finish fifth in the best and fairest.

"I think Ross knows how to push my buttons," he says. "I think that that works for me getting a kick up the arse like that. I wasn't playing my role on the day. Then he had to pull the trigger and sub me out, which was fair enough. I spoke to him during the week about it. He was really good about that. And then the next week he didn't drop me, he backed me in and I was very grateful for that. He pushes all us players to be better every day. I wouldn't be the same without him."

Expectations have been lofty since the moment Wilson was selected by the Saints at pick No.18 in 2023. He has played the third most games of that draft class behind Logan Morris and Nick Watson, but was dropped last year in an important patch of his development.

"It's pretty s*** getting dropped," Wilson admits bluntly. "But it made me put things in perspective and made me realise how good the opportunity is to play AFL. I had so many learnings come out of it. Ross has been a huge driving force in that. 

"For me, I think those little setbacks along the way in the right moments has given us, I think, the best opportunity to play our best footy now. And he's instilled a lot of confidence in us as well."

The expectations weren't the same for Garcia when he was drafted. Not many clubs rated him, but the late recruiter Chris Toce did. He saw something others didn't and used pick No.50 on the midfielder from the Calder Cannons in his last draft with the Saints, before he was moved on by the club and then appointed Richmond's national recruiting manager. Less than 12 months later, Toce passed away following a battle with an aggressive bout of cancer. 

"It was very sad when that happened. It was a tragedy and it probably took a toll on me for a little bit because he was one of the only recruiters that actually had faith in me; he let me live out my dream. And then to see that happen was just really sad," Garcia says.

Being a late draft pick doesn't drive Garcia. He wasn't expecting to go any higher. He had been fighting for bigger things and was ready to repay the club – any club – that picked him. He is certainly doing that now.

"My opinion is it doesn't matter where you go [in the draft], once you're in the system, you're in the system. So I was happy to go anywhere. Obviously when I didn't get picked for Metro, that was a bit of a shock to me; I wasn't expecting it. I thought that the AFL dream was over, but just had to keep fighting and never give up. I’m here now.”

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GARCIA is wired to always be working towards the next goal. His growth mindset extends beyond football. Along with his two cousins, Marcus and Liam, the 21-year-old with Spanish and Italian ancestry is currently developing a recovery supplement business set to launch in the first few months of 2027. 

"We do have a name, but I can't tell you yet," he says with a smirk. "I've always been pretty big in wanting to get my body as best as possible. I just thought the space of health and wellbeing would suit me. There was never really a drink in the market that had sleep and muscle recovery in one, so we thought we'd just start off with that."

Wilson is also interested in business and has done work experience with Paul Solomon, the CEO of Moose Toys and diehard St Kilda supporter, across the past 12 months. The pair motivate each other to get better every day, inside the building and away from the football club. 

"Yeah, 100 per cent. I think we drive each other each day, each training. After games we speak to each other about what we can improve on what we did. It has helped coming together at the same draft and being bonded together early, but I think we've got the similar mindset: we're just really competitive and want to win, and that's the main driving force. I think we both share that similar view; that's why we're sort of good mates."

Ahead of a crucial season for the club and the coach, Garcia believes St Kilda can reach the promised land for the first time in over 60 years.

"[We can] win the flag. I truly believe that," he says. "Everyone will probably laugh at us, but I think it can happen, so I'm not going to shy away from it. That's what we're here to do."

Wilson is less direct, but equally as determined. 

"Ross says anything's possible, but again, talk's cheap. We're here to sort of just train hard and have a good season and play finals. But there's a lot of speculation about our season and what's going to happen, but we're just sort of going to live it through action hopefully and try and not talk about it."

As for that viral photo, Wilson didn't miss the opportunity to suggest Garcia was 'checking his phone every two minutes'. Both have been doing the work and know they have much more to do between now and March 20 when St Kilda starts next season at the MCG against Collingwood. 

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