The Saints look dejected but a draw with GWS in Round 5 was one of their few good performances of 2018. Photo: AFL MEDIA

ST KILDA
2018 record: 4 wins, 17 losses, 1 draw (16th)

THE INS
Dan Hannebery (Sydney), Dean Kent (Melbourne), Max King (Sandringham Dragons), Jack Bytel (Calder Cannons), Matthew Parker (South Fremantle), Nick Hind (Essendon VFL), Robbie Young (North Adelaide), Callum Wilkie (North Adelaide), Sam Alabakis (Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks – NCAA)

THE OUTS
Tom Hickey (West Coast), Maverick Weller (delisted – Richmond), Darren Minchington (delisted – Hawthorn), Hugh Goddard (delisted – Carlton), Koby Stevens (retired), Ray Connellan (delisted), Nathan Freeman (delisted), Nathan Wright (delisted), Sam Gilbert (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
When you only win four games, it’s hard to come up with too many positives. But the Saints can take some solace from the fact that they ranked sixth for tackles and ninth for clearances on differentials in 2018. Adding an experienced head like Dan Hannebery to the midfield could be extremely beneficial, assuming he returns to full fitness. Jake Carlisle had a very good 2018 season and Jack Steven just keeps on keeping on, winning his fourth best-and-fairest award. Seb Ross is a legitimate ball magnet and Jade Gresham looks like he is on the verge of becoming an elite footballer, too, after topping the club’s goalkicking as a 21-year-old small forward. The return of Dylan Roberton from a heart issue will give the backline some much-needed bolstering and having their first full pre-season in their revamped spiritual home of Moorabbin will also be a huge plus for the Saints, one they’ll hope will lead to a more settled run-in to the season proper.

THE WEAKNESSES
Scoring was a huge issue for the Saints in 2018. With an average score of just 73, they had the fifth-worst attack in the competition and only managed to crack 100 points three times. Inaccuracy played a huge role in their forward struggles as they kicked more goals than behinds in a game just six times. That invariably saw them kick themselves out of a game on many occasions and impacted team morale as a result. But their lack of scoring power also came down to their inability to hold their own in midfield, with the Saints generating the fifth-fewest inside 50s in the league. St Kilda’s skill level was an issue all year and it doesn’t surprise that, on differentials, it ranked third for clanger kicks and 14th for effective kicks. The Saints were also placed 11th for disposals, 14th for marks, 16th for contested marks and 16th for marks inside 50, which probably speaks more about the quality of forward entries than the ability of their targets in attack. Those numbers just aren’t good enough and go a long way to explaining why not only why their average losing margin was six goals, but why they also had the third-worst defence in 2018, leaking 97 points per game on average. Their poor skill level wouldn’t have been helped by the fact that they played on after taking a mark more often than any other team – double the next team on the list (Sydney), in fact. Not surprisingly, there’s also a stark lack of genuine A-grade talent at Moorabbin, save maybe for Carlsile, Steven and Hannebery at his best. Coach Alan Richardson will also come under massive scrutiny in 2019 after five years without finals, which have yielded just 37 wins. Truth be told, if he wasn’t locked into a contract until the end of 2020, the cash-strapped Saints probably would have sacked him by now.

ONE TO WATCH
The recruitment of Hannebery has been generally viewed as a calculated gamble by the Saints considering the premiership Swan hasn’t been at his best in the past couple of years due to physical issues. But if he manages to overcome his various ailments and gets a clear run at it, then his talent and experience will be a valuable asset to a team that seems to be struggling for direction. The return of Roberton will also be highly-anticipated after the gun defender’s 2018 was ruined by a heart scare, which saw him collapse during a game against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.

UNDER THE PUMP
The No.1 draft pick tag comes with a lot of pressure and expectation. Some players thrive on it and others buckle under its weight. And while Paddy McCartin has had a lot of bad luck in terms of injury, specifically concussions, after four years and just 34 goals from 35 games, season 2019 could justifiably be described as career-defining for the young forward. He is so important to St Kilda’s blueprint for future success that if he struggles to realise his full potential, it could really set back the Saints. The 22-year-old needs a big one next year.

BEST 22
B: Dylan Roberton, Nathan Brown, Jarryn Geary
HB: Jimmy Webster, Jake Carlisle, Shane Savage
C: Seb Ross, Jack Steele, Blake Acres
HF: Jade Gresham, Josh Bruce, Jack Newnes
F: Jack Billings, Tim Membrey, Paddy McCartin
R: Billy Longer, Jack Steven, Dan Hannebery
Inter: Jack Sinclair, David Armitage, Daniel McKenzie, Jack Lonie
Emerg: Luke Dunstan, Dean Kent, Bailey Rice, Rowan Marshall

A fully fit Hannebery is a walk-up start and Roberton back in defence is a welcome sight. Dunstan slips out of the best 22 after being dropped late last season, defenders Logan Austin and Rice will be pushing for selection, and ruckman Marshall will also be thereabouts after finishing 2018 strongly. After injury ruined his 2018 season, former Melbourne forward Kent will be hoping a fresh start will lead to more luck. Richardson will be hoping youngsters such as Max King, Hunter Clark, Nick Coffield, Josh Battle and Ben Long will keep pressure on from the periphery, too.