Selecting every AFL team’s best 23 for 2026: St Kilda Saints

The Saints have undergone a period of significant list upheaval since the reappointment of Ross Lyon at the conclusion of the 2022 season. A heavy draft focus characterised his first few seasons back at the helm. Still, in keeping with an aggressive, club-wide focus on recapturing relevance, the Saints pivoted to procuring established talent in the most recent off-season. These signings signalled an internal belief that the storied club are ready for a genuine flag tilt in the immediate future. Is this the side prepared to break through and claim Lyon and the Saints an elusive premiership? Here's the best 23 that might run out in the candy stripe guernsey in 2026… Defenders The Lyon-coached sides are in the habit of being miserly in defence, and this line, bolstered by the acquisition of a reinvented Jack Silvagni, will look to carry that mantle. The former Blue was a shining light for Carlton last season, when fit, and will look to carry that form to his new club. Habitual All-Australian squad member Callum Wilkie is one of Lyon's most reliable magnets, and will only benefit from Silvagni's defection. On the half-back line, running machines and classy distributors Brad Hill and Jack Sinclair will flank rising star Alix Tauru, who will be looking to build on an eye-catching first season. The balance of archetypes in this backline promises to make scoring against the Saints a tall order, while prohibiting score launches from this zone will need to be a focus for opposing forwards. [caption id="attachment_169387" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Jack Silvagni in his new colours. Credit. St Kilda Football Club[/caption] Midfielders Across the centreline, Lyon has more running weapons at his disposal. Darcy Wilson has showcased one of the league's best motors since his debut, and will be pushing to become a more prominent part of the Saints' on-ball brigade in year three. On the opposite wing, the veteran presence of Mason Wood will be a steadying influence. Jack Macrae showed his days as one of the league's best accumulators are not behind him last season, and will look to again feed his array of outside runners, after averaging over 12 contested possessions per game for just the fourth time in 2025. The most significant investment in the AFL has gone into the Saints' engine room, with the league's two highest-paid players representing the red, white and black at centre bounce. Fresh from a year in which he took the league by storm, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera signed a two-year deal to stay at Moorabbin that will make him the AFL's first $2 million man. Providing the prodigious South Australian silver service will be Tom De Koning, who, like Silvagni, traded the navy blue for the black, white and red in the recent player movement period. The versatile ruckman suffered somewhat of a down year in 2025, admitting contract speculation weighed heavily on his performance, but will look to bounce back, justifying the faith shown in him by his boyhood club. The Saints also sent Pick 7 to the Gold Coast Suns in exchange for the services of Sam Flanders, who will see his desire to play in the midfield again met after falling out of the rotation under Damien Hardwick. Expect Marcus Windhager, one of the league's best taggers, to feature, adding a degree of defensive accountability to a midfield stacked with offensive talent. The X-factor of the ever-improving Mattaes Phillipou should also see him granted plenty of opportunity to flourish. Young midfielder Hugo Garcia responded well to an infamous Lyon spray last season, and is sure to be given more opportunities to develop, too. [caption id="attachment_167039" align="alignnone" width="2560"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 15: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera of the Saints celebrates kicking a goal during the round 23 AFL match between Essendon Bombers and St Kilda Saints at Marvel Stadium on August 15, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)[/caption] Forwards On paper, St Kilda's forward line reads as rather tall, headlined by a long-awaited return to full flight for the tormented Max King. Mitch Owens and Cooper Sharman will provide hard-working foil as fellow talls, while Rowan Marshall's failed exit will necessitate time in the front 50 for the 10th-year North Ballarat man. Jack Higgins spent 2025's early sledging as the form small forward of the competition, and will benefit from lesser attention, should King return as expected. Max Hall established himself as a permanent fixture last season, playing every game and providing spark as a medium forward. Expect Higgins and Hall to buzz at the foot of marking contests, and crumb with aplomb, with the latter to get good minutes through midfield too. Incoming veteran and premiership Eagle Liam Ryan will add to this dynamic, but will likely start most games on the pine. Grizzly veteran Dan Butler has ranked elite for tackles in three of six completed seasons at Moorabbin, and given the importance of front-half pressure in the modern AFL, he and the aforementioned Ryan will be in constant selection considerations. [caption id="attachment_149065" align="alignnone" width="1840"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 21: Max King of the Saints celebrates a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 02 match between the St Kilda Saints and the Collingwood Magpies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 21, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)[/caption] Best 23 FB: Jack Silvagni, Callum Wilkie, Liam Stocker HB: Jack Sinclair, Alix Tauru, Brad Hill C: Mason Wood, Jack Macrae, Darcy Wilson HF: Max Hall, Max King, Mitch Owens FF: Jack Higgins, Rowan Marshall, Cooper Sharman FO: Tom De Koning, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Sam Flanders I/C: Marcus Windhager, Mattaes Phillipou, Dan Butler, Hugo Garcia, Liam Ryan Stiff to miss: Tobie Travaglia, Lance Collard, Hunter Clark, Dougal Howard, Liam Henry, Hugh Boxshall, Anthony Caminiti

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	ADEL	23	18	5	72	139.3
2	GEEL	23	17	6	68	141.5
3	BL	23	16	6	66	114.2
4	COLL	23	16	7	64	122.4
5	GWS	23	16	7	64	115.3
6	FRE	23	16	7	64	109
7	GC	23	15	8	60	124.9
8	HAW	23	15	8	60	120.9

Selecting every AFL team’s best 23 for 2026: St Kilda Saints

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