A Look at Youth, Drafts, and the Road to Premierships

Following St Kilda's significant loss to the Western Bulldogs, coach Ross Lyon engaged in a combative exchange with the media. While he successfully steered the focus of the press conference, the team's performance has declined for two consecutive years under his leadership.

The club's management extended Lyon's contract, but his coaching record over the past decade raises concerns. Since leading Fremantle to a preliminary final in 2015, his record includes a majority of losses and only one winning season.

St Kilda's style of play, which is not considered aesthetically pleasing, may contribute to the team's struggles. Scoring has been a major challenge, with the team ranking near the bottom in inside 50s and shots on goal.

The team fielded a significant number of older players against the Bulldogs. However, despite this, St Kilda's list is relatively young in terms of average age and games played.

With veterans not performing as expected, Lyon may benefit from focusing on younger players. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera leads a promising group of under-25 talent. Prioritizing game time for this young quartet is crucial for the club's future.

The absence of Max King has also impacted the team's scoring ability. His presence in the forward line allows other players to perform better.

St Kilda is in a difficult position, not good enough to contend but not bad enough to rebuild through the draft. The timing of a rebuild is critical, especially with the upcoming expansion team's entry.

The 2027 draft will be impacted by the arrival of Tasmania, who will have multiple high draft picks. Additionally, the draft pool will be diluted by father-son selections.

Richmond's successful rebuild serves as a model for teams in a similar situation. By embracing youth, Richmond added key players through the draft and transformed from a struggling team to a premiership contender.

Melbourne, like St Kilda, could benefit from focusing on youth before Tasmania's arrival. Despite having an experienced list, Melbourne is struggling. The team's decisions have left their resources depleted.

Melbourne should consider trading key players to build a team around Kysaiah Pickett. This requires difficult decisions and patience.

For St Kilda fans, embracing a youth movement and potentially enduring a period of bottom-four finishes could be a worthwhile trade-off for future success.