St Kilda goes into the 2020 season with a new coach and a new-look side thanks to a lucrative trade period.
The club added Brad Hill, Paddy Ryder, Dougal Howard, Zak Jones and Dan Butler and will hopefully also get the best out of Dan Hannebery and highly rated youngster Max King after the duo played a combined five games in 2019.
Club champion Nick Dal Santo believes there is an optimism around the club that hasn’t been there for a decade.
“I think in previous years, every club has this optimism that this is going to be our year or we’re going to take small steps forward and push for the finals,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“But the Saints haven’t been able to say that for a little while.
“It’s been tough going and rightly so. They haven’t put the performances on the board, they’ve had some changes with playing groups and now with coaching staff.
“But it feels good. It feels like there’s light at the end of the tunnel and we spoke about it a couple of days ago, whether you believe in winning or losing the trade period, they got the people that they wanted.
“They definitely got players that they need in certain positions.
“I’m not sure what that translates to on field in terms of wins and losses and we’ll hold our breath on that one and I’m not expecting leaps and bounds forward, but it’s nice.
“It’s great for supporter groups that have gone through some hardships for the last 10-odd years now that there’s something coming through.”