Max King is one of several young Saints with a big future ahead. Photo: AFL MEDIA.

For the first time in a very long time there’s a sense of genuine excitement surrounding St Kilda heading into a new season.

Coach Brett Ratten really tapped into something last year which saw the Saints become one of the most exciting teams to watch as they made it to the second week of the finals before losing to eventual premier Richmond.

They ticked off two big milestones in 2020 by making the finals for the first time in nine years, and then winning their first final in 10 years – a thrilling three-point elimination final against the Western Bulldogs.

A fair reason for their jump up the ladder was their “foreign legion” consisting of recruits Dan Butler, Paddy Ryder, Dougal Howard, Zak Jones and Brad Hill.

They’ve added to that cluster this year too by bringing in Brad Crouch, Jack Higgins, Mason Wood and Shaun McKernan.

But they’ve got some very exciting youngsters as well, and the following four guys look primed to take the next step this year.

JACK BYTEL
The 20-year-old had a rough start to his AFL career which saw him spend his first season with St Kilda in 2019 completing a 12-month rehabilitation for back surgery he underwent at the end of his final under-18 year.

But all the hard work paid off for Bytel last year when he broke through for his debut and he ended up playing three games.

The young midfielder was quite impressive too and was dropped through no fault of his own, but more to do with the fact that he had to make way for more senior players returning.

The great news for Bytel is that he hasn’t had any problems with his back for the last 18 months so for the first time as an AFL footballer he’s got a lot of confidence in that part of his body.

Bytel hasn’t missed a training session all pre-season and he is determined to break into the best 22.

“He’s an elite midfielder with his hands,” St Kilda assistant coach Ben McGlynn told Footyology.

“Guys like [Jack] Steele and [Brad] Crouch and Seb Ross are clearly our No.1 mids at the moment, but if Jack’s there, that’s his spot he’s striving for. Like any young kid if the opportunity arises he’s got to take it.”

The key for Bytel to take the next step will be improvement in his transition running both before and after the contest.

“He’s putting his best foot forward,” McGlynn said. “The expectations he puts on himself are a bit high but for us he’s still a developing player and we see him as the future so there’ll be no rush.”

HUNTER CLARK
Clark had his most consistent year to date last season and combined beautifully with fellow young backmen Ben Paton and Nick Coffield to form part of a cohesive defensive unit.

Unfortunately the synergy Clark was building with Paton will have to be put on hold after Paton suffered an horrific broken leg at training on Thursday and will almost certainly sit out the entire 2021 season.

But 21-year-old Clark, who now has 47 games under his belt, looks set to further strengthen his on-field bond with Coffield and it’s a prospect that encourages the club.

“They’ve made more improvements this pre-season, obviously understanding more how ‘Ratts’ [Ratten] wants them to defend but also attack off half-back,” McGlynn said.

As well as playing in defence in 2021, Clark has also been earmarked for a bigger role in the middle of the ground.

“He’s training with the midfield this summer and we’re hoping we get to see him feature more inside due to his ball-winning ability and just how composed he is under pressure,” McGlynn said.

“I think we saw that last year in a few games where his maturity was above his age in terms of how he handles the pressure situations.”

NICK COFFIELD
The third member of the young defensive ‘three amigos’ last year, Coffield had a superb campaign which culminated in him finishing fifth in the club’s best-and-fairest.

After an inconsistent 2019, it all clicked for the 21-year-old, missing just one game in 2020 and becoming a crucial part of his team’s backline as his confidence grew with each match.

With 36 games to his credit, Coffield looks set to take his game to even greater heights in 2021, having come back to the club over the summer in pristine condition.

“He’s been training well. I think last year was a good year for him to start to believe in his abilities,” McGlynn said.

The vast majority of St Kilda’s backline is 25 or under and the club is hoping that if its defenders can play alongside each other for a sustained period of time, it will lead to greater things for the team in the future.

“Every team aims to have a back six as settled as you can, you look at the teams in the past who have had success, their back six is probably their most experienced guys, but they obviously started off playing together at a young age which our group is at at the moment,” McGlynn said.

MAX KING
Perhaps the most exciting talent on the Saints’ list is their young key forward who looked right at home at the top level in his debut year.

In his first full season of AFL, away in a hub for the most part, the 20-year-old kicked 22 goals, second only to Dan Butler (29) at the Saints, and took an equal-club best 30 contested marks.

In fact, 53 per cent of King’s marks were contested, underscoring how big a focal point in attack he quickly became in his first 18 games of league footy. But the Saints identified their over-reliance on King so early in his career as an issue that needed fixing, which is why they recruited Wood and McKernan.

He’s been enjoying a solid pre-season training block in the lead-up to the new campaign which has seen him achieve more continuity than the previous summer.

King has also added more bulk to his big frame in the gym and the results can be seen on the training track with further improvement in his contested marking.

“As with all young kids you’ve got to give them time to mature and adapt to the level,” McGlynn said.

“He’s definitely come in with high expectations but we obviously treat him as an equal with the rest of the playing group and want him to develop at his own rate.

“Max is going really well, he’s very relaxed and a much-loved character around the club.”