As the cold light of day breaks on yet another St Kilda submission for the most dysfunctional organisation in the history of sport, fans are rightly wondering, what next? Having sacked coach Brett Ratten within four months of extending his contract, the club is reeling.
The Saints started the season well, securing eight wins prior to the bye rounds. From there however, they fell apart, putting up several insipid performances and missing finals.
After yet another irrelevant season, the club missed out on top free agency target Jordan De Goey, before doing little of note in the remainder of the trade period.
A mediocre list has only welcomed free agent Zaine Cordy, whilst taking just one first-round pick to the national draft. The circumstances at St Kilda are dire, to say the least.
Yet, more fuel was thrown on the dumpster fire last night when AFL Media's Cal Twomey broke the news that the club was set to sack Ratten, less than 100 days after re-signing him.
Following an external review of the club's operations across every facet, changes were always going to be made. Several new faces have joined the club's football department, however, the sacking of Ratten has still shocked the football world.
A decision "as brutal as they come" in an industry where brutal calls are commonplace, Ratten is widely spoken about as one of footy's genuinely good people. That will be of little comfort to him following the club's shock decision.
With all of that in mind, we take a look at who might be brave enough to take on the most daunting task in the AFL.
2. Robert Harvey
As one of the greatest ever to represent St Kilda, Harvey would undoubtedly be a popular choice. The dual Brownlow medalist spent a decade at Collingwood following his playing days and has put together an impressive CV.
He started as the midfield coach there in 2012 and even won the AFL Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2013. He followed that up by becoming the club's senior assistant coach in 2014 and has gone from strength to strength since.
RELATED: Saints move on from senior coach Brett Ratten
Often mentioned whenever a position opens up at Moorabbin, it remains to be seen if Harvey has any interest in coaching the Saints after already interviewing for the role in years gone by.
While the idea of Harvey coaching the Saints would no doubt warm the hearts of fans everywhere, it may be a case of not wanting to sour the memory of a beloved icon of the club.
The Saints front office would do well to remember Ross Lyon’s previous exit from the club. They would also do well to think about bringing in a new coach as opposed recycling a coach. The game has changed since Lyon was at STK (and even since he was at Fremantle). Lyon’s last seasons at Freo didn’t see them into the finals the last four seasons he was there. Ross Lyon isn’t not going to return STK to it’s glory days. But, given how the club loves to reward “mediocrity” (which it supposedly hates), it’s not surprising they’d want Lyon. Let’s hope, though that they learn the lessons of the past and bring in a new coach who understands the modern game.