Going into the 2018 AFL campaign, there was a faint whiff of optimism surrounding St Kilda’s chances of challenging for the end-of-season play-offs. That pre-season positivity was soon to be a distant memory as the Saints laboured to just four wins and one draw and, as a result, found themselves third bottom in the table. However, with first competitive action of 2019 approaching, the club look to be in decent shape heading into the forthcoming campaign and are aiming to bounce back from their truly torrid twelve months. 

Source: Sporting New Australia via Twitter

St Kilda have re-installed Jarryn Geary as captain for 2019, and the 30-year old is confident that the club can bounce back from last year’s disappointment. He described the 2018 season as an “aberration” and believes that the club will be helped by their summer rebuild. He told reporters that he “has great faith in the group” and was very confident that the club will “turn it around”. 

Ahead of last year’s horror show, the Saints were being talked about as potential underdogs. They could be big improvers this time around however and look far better equipped for a play-off challenge. They are available at 7.00 in the latest AFL betting for a top eight finish this year, and that appears to be a realistic target for the Victorian outfit. 

Prior to last season, the club had looked to be heading in the right direction, and Geary genuinely believes that they can get back on track in 2019. 

St Kilda open up against Gold Coast and are rightly favourites to get off to a winning start on March 24th. New recruit Dan Hannebery is confident that he will be ready for the season opener, but he will need to ensure that he’s shaken off his hamstring niggle, which has plagued him throughout pre-season. It isn’t the first time in his career that persistant injuries have hindered his development with his time at Sydney beset by fitness issues. 

Source: Triple M Footy via Twitter

The new recruit has been unveiled as part of the club’s leadership group alongside Seb Ross, Tim Membrey, Dylan Robertson and the aforementioned Jarryn Geary. He signed a multimillion-dollar five-year deal with the club, and big things are expected from the 27-year old this year. He will help add some much-needed experience to the squad and many of the younger players will undoubtedly benefit from his presence. The average age of 2018’s squad was 23 and a half, and they entered the campaign as the joint-second youngest side. 

There are a plethora of new names in this year’s squad as well as a couple of additions to the coaching staff with Brett Ratten and Brendon Lade joining from Hawthorn and Port Adelaide respectively. Graeme Allen also arrived at the club in October 2018 to take up an advisory role. 

There have also been a number of outgoings during the summer months with Sam Gilbert ending his 13-year association with the Saints, and Tom Hickey joining West Coast at the end of last year. 

St Kilda are determined to draw a line under their disappointing campaign and make a fresh start in 2019. The club has undergone a significant shake-up during the off-season, and fans and players alike are confident that their side can bounce back from a truly underwhelming twelve months.