St Kilda Football Club is thrilled to announce the re-signing of 14 Saints players.

Names synomonous with Saints Footy, including Hayes, Dal Santo, Gram, Goddard, Montagna, Koschitzke, Baker, Blake, Schneider and Gwilt, have all re-signed with the Club.

To secure such a key group of the Club’s playing list, including six of the top 10 from the Saints 2009 Best and Fairest, underlines the strength and confidence that is growing across all areas of the St Kilda Football Club.

Saints fans will be delighted to know that adding to the amazing list of talent who have re-signed is promising ruckman Ben McEvoy, tall forward Rhys Stanley, tough midfielder Jack Steven and West Australian youngster Alistair Smith, who are the latest exciting crop of players to have put pen to paper.

St Kilda CEO, Michael Nettlefold, said “This outcome gives the Club great confidence that it’s playing group want to be part of the Saints future. With a record 40,000 members and all key commercial measures at historical highs, this is another vote of confidence in the Club’s direction.”

“The Saints have played in Preliminary Finals in 2008/09 and a Grand Final in 2009 and are looking to continue to gain traction as a leading team and power brand in the AFL competition” Nettlefold said.

“Matthew Drain has done an outstanding job managing our list through an incredibly challenging period, given the contract pressures coming to bear on all AFL Clubs with the entry of the two new interstate teams in the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney”.

“It would be hard to recall a period in the Club’s recent history where so many people from the members, to the playing group, to the Board of Directors share the same passion and commitment to delivering excellence.”

Saints Vice Captain and Club champion Lenny Hayes has secured his dream of playing his entire career at one Club, with the loyal Saint having signed on until 2012. Sitting on 231 games, Hayes was recruited from Pennant Hills/NSW-ACT U19 and selected at pick number 11 in the 1998 National AFL Draft (1st round selection).

All-Australian midfielder Nick Dal Santo, has signed a new three year contract that will see the 184 gamer at the Saints until the end of 2013. Dal Santo is now in his eighth season with the Saints, after being drafted in 2001.

Selected at number 2 in the 2000 National AFL Draft, key forward Justin Koschitzke has also signed a new deal, with the 2001 Rising Star a dedicated Saint for a further two years.

Small forward Adam Schneider will proudly remain in Saints colours for the next two years, with the speedy goal sneak signing on until 2012.

Rebounding defender Jason Gram has committed to the Club until 2012. Recruited from Sale and having played over 100 games for St Kilda, the reliable backman debuted for the Saints in 2004 and came runner up in the Club’s Best and Fairest in 2006.

Defender Jason Blake and Saints tagger Steven Baker have also added an extra year to their contracts, which will see them continue their careers in the red, white and black until the end of 2011.

St Kilda’s solid defensive unit has been further strengthened, with the Saints also acquiring James Gwilt, which will see the defender remain at the Club for two years.

The string of recent re-signings is in addition to the Club last year also securing Leigh Montagna and Brendon Goddard, with the All-Australian duo committing to playing Saints Footy until at least the end of 2012.

This amazing string of players exemplifies the direction in which the Club is striving towards and comes in the same year that the Saints reached a record 40,000 members, the highest ever achieved in the Club’s 137 year history.