The Saints' 0-2 start to 2013 is the first time they have started a season with two consecutive losses since 2000. That season, St Kilda won its most recent wooden spoon and had just three current players on its list: Jason Blake, Lenny Hayes and Stephen Milne.
Speaking with AFL.com.au after the 17-point loss to Richmond at the MCG on Friday night, Montagna conceded the Saints were in unfamiliar territory but said they had time to turn their season around.
"It's a long season, you can't start getting too down on yourself now otherwise it makes it a hell of a tough year," Montagna said.
"We've just got to review the game, butter up and stay positive, that's all you can do.
"If you drop off and drop your head too quickly it becomes a long year so we'll hang in there, and go again and hopefully put in a better effort next week."
Montagna, 29, said the Saints had shown in 2007 and 2011 they could bounce back from a poor start to a season.
In 2007, the Saints were 4-7 after round 11, but won seven and drew one of their remaining 11 games to finish half a game outside the eight.
In 2011, the Saints had just three wins and a draw in their first 12 games, but lost just another two home and away games for the year to reach the finals.
"We've had slow starts before and come back and salvaged our season," Montagna said.
"It takes a lot of effort and a lot of hard work and a lot of the guys sticking together and staying positive."
St Kilda has been popularly tipped to slide down the ladder this season after an extended run of success dating back to its 2004 preliminary final appearance.
But despite the advancing years of star players like Lenny Hayes, 33, and Nick Riewoldt, 30, Montagna said St Kilda had been buoyed by the development of inexperienced players such as Rhys Stanley, Ahmed Saad, Terry Milera and Jack Newnes, and had expected to prove the doomsayers wrong this year.
"We've been very bullish on how we'd go this year. We thought that we would surprise a lot of the so-called experts with where we'd finish," Montagna said.
"At the moment we're not showing that but we've still got a lot of belief in this group and still think we can win a lot of games of football."
However, Montagna agreed with his coach Scott Watters' assessment on Friday night that St Kilda's ball use was holding it back.
"It was pleasing that we hung in there (against Richmond) and we dug into until the end," Montagna said.
"We tried hard but we have to try hard sometimes with the way we use the ball. We missed a lot of targets, missed a lot of handballs, missed a lot of kicks.
"When you do that against a good opposition they hurt you and we have to put in extra effort just to stay in the game.
"It's something we're going to have to have a good look at during the week."
Friday night's game was Montagna's first for the year after he missed the Saints' round loss to Gold Coast through suspension.
He was the Saints' leading possession-winner (27) and tackler (eight) against the Tigers, but he said he would be better for the run.
"I felt fresh in the first half, I was on top of the ground," Montagna said.
"I cramped in the last quarter, which is to be expected early in the year. It's quite tough, you've got to get the body used to it.
"But I hung in there OK."
Leigh Montagna is a midfielder in NAB AFL Fantasy. He averaged 96.7 points in 2012. Register your team at our AFL Fantasy Hub.
Nick Bowen is a reporter with AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
