In a nutshell

Normally the coach being sacked indicates everything has gone wrong. It was a different situation at the Saints though, with Alan Richardson needing to produce an extraordinary result – making finals – to keep his job. That didn't happen, but the club improved from last year and showed there are some reasons for excitement.

What we said in the pre-season

There wasn't much optimism around the Saints after a horror preparation that saw so many of the stars go down with various maladies, but they defied expectations to post nine wins and finish (just) outside the bottom-four. During the summer months, it seemed Nick Hind would make an instant impact. He didn't debut until round 13 but proved to be a spark, albeit up forward, rather than down back where he had thrived at lower levels.

What worked 

A star uncovered from the worst ruck department in the competition
When the season commenced, the Saints had what seemed on paper the worst collection of ruckmen in the competition. However, Rowan Marshall far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations and surpassed Billy Longer and Lewis Pierce, who barely had a chance to prove themselves after both dealt with concussions. 

Ruckman Rowan Marshall surpassed all expectations this season. Picture: AFL Photos

Building from the backline
Defence has been the strongest area of the ground for the Saints for a while, and they identified a couple of guns at that end of the ground. Josh Battle should hold down a key post for a long time, and his intercept marking, mobility and foot skills are very handy attributes. Then there was Callum Wilkie, who stood up brilliantly, and Hunter Clark settled nicely at half-back.

A massive pre-season
After a horror 2018, the players endured a grueling preparation and it served them well as they burst out of the blocks with a surprisingly impressive run to start the year.

What failed

The China trip
From a business perspective, it made sense. From a football sense, it was tough to justify. That not much went right for them in Shanghai only made matters worse. After a competitive first half of the season, they were 5-5 going into the Port Adelaide clash. Pumped by the Power after illness swept through the camp and left several sapped, an unlikely finals berth became almost inconceivable after that game, and Richardson was gone six weeks later.

The game in Shanghai ended in heartbreak for the Saints and Jarryn Geary. Picture: AFL Photos

Luck
Normally it's more standard injuries, such as to hamstrings and knees, that keep players out. At Moorabbin, a heart problem might have ended Dylan Roberton's career, Paddy McCartin can't shake his issues with concussion, Jarryn Geary almost had a leg amputated because of a corkie. Then there was back surgery for Jake Carlisle, Max King needing an ankle operation after finally recovering from a knee reconstruction. The list goes on.

(More) deplorable ball use
It's been a problem for a while and plenty more work needs to be done. Too often, the Saints cost themselves with turnovers. That is an area they must address if improvement is to come.

Overall rating

D –

Alan Richardson saw the writing on the wall after finals were the expectation and departed. By the club's own standards, it failed. Having said that, considering the injury woes, combined with a paucity of A-grade talent, winning nine games is a pretty handy effort.

The coach

After Alan Richardson left after round 17, Brett Ratten took over and produced a respectable 3-3 record, making a decent case for the Saints hierarchy to drop the word 'caretaker' from his title.

MVP

Rowan Marshall: He's been so influential that pundits are scratching their heads trying to figure out why St Kilda is pursuing another big man to partner Marshall with. Since coming into the side in round two, has rarely lowered his colours.

Surprise packet

Callum Wilkie: Losing Dylan Roberton on the eve of the season was a massive blow, but the Saints had a contingency in the form of Wilkie. There were knocks around his pace but the courageous mature-age recruit has more than shown his worth.

Get excited

Hunter Clark: It looks to all be coming together for the No.7 draftee from 2017. He seemed to struggle to adjust to the elite level earlier on in his career and was forced to bide his time in the VFL but the classy ball-user acquitted himself well in the second half of the season.

Disappointment

Dan Hannebery: When a banged-up 28-year-old is recruited on a deal that will span at least four seasons on big money and then manages just five games in his first 12 months at the club after needing to rebuild his body, that's not a good sign. However, showed when he was on the park the traits that made him a triple All Australian at Sydney.

Best win

Round 5: St Kilda 15.5 (95) d. Melbourne 7.13 (55)

These teams don't like each other, so for St Kilda, beating Melbourne is always sweet. That victory saw the side go to the top of the ladder at 4-1, and to do so by such a comfortable margin after a series of close finishes was satisfying for the Saints.

Best individual performance 

Jack Billings. Round 13 v Gold Coast

Wingman Jack Billings bounced back to form in 2019, and was instrumental as the Saints mounted a comeback over the Suns in Townsville, winning 33 disposals, laying 11 tackles and bagging a couple of goals.

Low point

It came before the season began. Former No.1 pick Paddy McCartin suffered his eighth concussion since 2014 from a seemingly innocuous hit and didn't take to the field for the entire season.

The big questions 

If Jack Steven is traded, what will the Saints get in return?

Can St Kilda avoid a full rebuild?

How good can Max King be next year?

Season in a movie title

Ratatouille: A movie about a rat who aspires to defy convention and become a chef. 'Ratts' is similarly seeking to defy convention, in that sacked coaches who haven't won a flag have struggled to get a look in at another senior job in recent years.

Who's done?

Retirements: Nil
Delistings: David Armitage, Billy Longer, Lewis Pierce, Sam Rowe
Unsigned free agents: Nathan Brown, Jack Newnes

How should they approach trade and draft period? 

Aggressively, and they will do so. The Saints are throwing $900,000 at Fremantle wingman Bradley Hill, will look to recruit another speedster in Sydney's Zak Jones and could acquire Adam Tomlinson from Greater Western Sydney as well. That's without mentioning what they do with the ruck department.

Early call for 2020

They've declared finals are on the agenda. If they're going to load up with readymade recruits, finishing outside the top eight next season would be a failure.