St Kilda Saints coach Ross Lyon had mixed emotions after his side's narrow 11-point loss to the Giants, drawing their 2025 campaign to a close.
"We came here with two things (in mind), to improve and play with great spirits," Lyon said. "Spirit was evident. It's been evident all year."
Even though the Saints were defeated by the finals-bound Giants, Lyon expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance in a manner that only he could.
"I thought we took control collectively of our personal agency to play with great spirit," said Lyon.
Young gun Darcy Wilson had one of his better games in his career, kicking a match-high five goals.
"He is one of our young players that's worked and been working really hard," said Lyon. "The challenge is doing it again and again."
The coach also flagged the potential of going down a similar path to this year's minor premiers, Adelaide Crows.
"There's a model of growth and chasing it, but everyone is trying to do it as quick as they can," said Lyon. "I've got a good coaching group, a player-driven group, and we've got a lot of hard work to do."
After a solid season with a developing young list, the Saints will no doubt be aiming to improve their ladder position next season after finishing 12th this year.
The future looks bright in Moorabbin, with superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera re-signing with the club last week, and offseason targets Tom De Koning (free agency) and Leek Aleer (trade) expected to join the club for 2026.
