After an extremely promising 2020 campaign which saw St Kilda progress to a semi-final for the first time since 2010, the Saints regressed in 2021, finishing tenth on the ladder and failing to reach the finals for the ninth time in ten years.
Despite the fact that a number of key contributors were struck down by injury throughout the season, the team as a whole was simply not up to its 2020 standard and could not challenge enough of the best sides in order to secure a post-season berth.
Over the course of the off-season, the Saints parted ways with fringe midfielder Luke Dunstan (who averaged 25 disposals in 2021, ranking third among Saints players) and saw the retirements of Dylan Roberton, Jake Carlisle, James Frawley and Shaun McKernan.
After a quiet free agency (with the exception of nabbing delisted free agent ruckman Tom Campbell), the Saints injected youth into their squad through the National Draft, with exciting wing prospect Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Next Generation Academy prospects Marcus Windhager and Michito Owens all entering the fray in 2022.
With a telling campaign upcoming, we look to the five burning questions facing the Saints in 2022.
Will St Kilda's avoid the injury bug in 2022?
A considerable number of the Saints' most impactful players were sidelined at one point or another throughout the 2021 season, which certainly did not help the team's cause.
Ben Paton (entire season), Dan Hannebery (20 games), Jarryn Geary (19), Jade Gresham (19), Paddy Ryder (10), Zak Jones (9), Hunter Clark (9) and Rowan Marshall (9) all spent a significant amount of time on the sideline in 2021, meaning less experienced replacements were asked to fill big shoes for an extended amount of time.
One of the main keys to a St Kilda bounce-back in 2022 is ensuring its most necessary players are able to stay healthy for the vast majority of games. But, whether or not that actually eventuates is a different story, and if last year is any indicator, Saints fans probably shouldn't get their hopes up too much.
Can the Saints' midfield improve?
St Kilda ranked a lowly 16th in the league in goal assists per game and 12th in clearances per game, suggesting that a large improvement between their midfield and forward transition is one of the Saints' most pressing needs.
Assuming the Saints will be able to start the new season with a healthy Jones and Gresham at their disposal, coupled with the hard-nut duo of skipper Jack Steele (led the Saints in disposals and tackles per game in 2021) and Brad Crouch (ranked second among Saints in disposals per game in 2021), St Kilda should be able to lift its game through the middle of the ground.
In addition, a fresh crop of talent (Wanganeen-Milera, Windhager and Owens) to challenge the older heads may be just what the doctor ordered.
Is 2022 a make-or-break year for Ratten?
After being handed the head coaching reins in late 2019, Ratten has compiled a 23-22 record as coach of St Kilda, with the Saints' 2020 (10-7 and 1-1 in the finals) being his most successful campaign to date.
However, after a down 2021, questions around whether Ratten is the right man to take St Kilda forward remain.
It would probably be a stretch to say that the 50-year-old is on the hot seat heading into 2022, but if the Saints were to once again start the season poorly, then 'Ratts' may be closer to the end of his Moorabbin tenure than previously thought.
With his contract set to expire at season's end, 2022 frames as a season Ratten will need to impress.
Can Max King take the next step towards stardom?
Max King is projected by many to be among the competition's next generation of star key forwards, and he is well on his way after booting 38 goals from 20 games in 2021.
The 21-year-old ranked sixth in the AFL for total contested marks and total contested marks inside 50 in 2021, as well as ranking seventh in total contested marks in 2020.
Provided the Saints are able to enhance the quality of their forward entries this season, King should be set for a monster (and potentially All-Australian) year.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
There's no disputing his potential, but 2022 may be the year King claims the crown as arguably the AFL's most damaging key forward.
What roles will Ross and Geary play?
It is impossible to deny that veterans Seb Ross and Jarryn Geary have slowed down in recent years, with the duo likely to be squeezed out of Ratten's best side at some point this year.
The 28-year-old Ross has seen a steady decline in his possession numbers since the 2017-18 seasons, when he was averaging close to 30 disposals per game, with his pace and burst have also taken a hit in recent years.
With young midfielders Jack Bytel, Windhager and Owens coming through the ranks in the years ahead, Ross may soon be the odd man out in a young and prospering engine room ensemble.
Geary, a long-standing club servant and now ex-skipper, has been beaten up in recent years. The 33-year-old managed just three games in 2021 after suffering a broken leg during the pre-season, and five games in 2019 after a gruesome quad injury ended his season.
With the medical issues continuing to pile up for Geary, as well as the emergence of younger defenders like Clark, Paton and Tom Highmore, many expect 2022 to be Geary's last hurrah.
