Dear Sainters,

I hope you are all going well. 

I wanted to share some brief reflections at the midpoint of the season. There is much to be positive about.

Last week, we were delighted to announce that we have surpassed our all-time membership record of 55,832.

It has been wonderful to see you all back in the stands of Marvel Stadium, cheering on the men’s side with the passion that St Kilda fans are known for.

Your unwavering support throughout the past two COVID-impacted seasons has been extraordinary, and our solid start to the AFL season has hopefully been enjoyed by all of you as partial reward for your ongoing commitment.

We are continuing to build as a club

The past four months have seen many other highlights including completion of the magnificent new surface at RSEA Park and the opening of the Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing (DFC).

The DFC is well underway in its mission to improve the mental health outcomes of the club’s people, past players and the broader community. By the end of 2022, the DFC will also encompass a recovery centre, gym and consulting suites for allied health practitioners. 

This work has never been more vital and I encourage everyone to get behind the second iteration of Spud’s Game in Round 14, as we aim to raise funds for mental health and suicide prevention programs to be run out of the DFC.

In our Women’s program, Senior Coach Nick Dal Santo and Head of AFLW Tessie McManus encountered a difficult start to the season with the loss of key players and some heavy defeats. However, our players never stopped trying and showed clear improvement throughout the season, evidenced by strong performances against the Giants, Suns and the Cats.

With four new expansion teams set to take to the field in August, we have seen significant player movement across the competition. As part of that, we have both lost some important personnel as well as attracted some new and exciting talents to the club.

We wish Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Cat Phillips and Jacqui Vogt the best as they embark on new journeys at expansion clubs, and thank Kate McCarthy, Isabella Shannon, Tahlia Meyer, Alana Woodward and Paige Price for their contributions. I would also like to welcome Nicola Stevens as our first signing of this year’s Sign & Trade Period.

The men’s team also returned to Cairns as part of the second year of a two-year deal with the Queensland Government. I share Brett Ratten’s view that the venue wasn’t the key factor in the result, and we also acknowledge the brilliant support we received from the Cairns and Queensland community.

But ultimately, we know that what our supporters care most about is winning games of football and ensuring our return to September action.  As always, we review these decisions and determine what the best course of action is in order to drive that outcome, whilst balancing the other competing interests of the Club.

In the week our nation turns its mind to reconciliation, it would be remiss of me not to mention the terrific work of our Indigenous Development Manager Aunty Katrina Amon and the role she has played in shaping the club’s culture since joining us this February. St Kilda has a proud Indigenous history and the nine players currently on our list are an incredibly important part of our future.

A step forward but not the destination

It was an emotional aftermath to Sunday’s win against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium. 

For the first time in two years, the rooms were once again filled with family, friends, children and our AFLW players, who were there to share in the win.

Brett Ratten disregarded his normal post-game analysis to instead focus on the power of connection and family; two major themes for the club this year that we are beginning to see the benefits of on-field.

As our players and coaches take a short break, it is good to reflect on how far we have come as a club over the past 12 months under the terrific leadership of Brett and his team. It is not just that we are 8-3, but the way we have gone about things and the improvement shown by so many that is so pleasing.

The team worked incredibly hard in the off-season, fostering a team-first attitude and strong sense of self-sacrifice.  Belief is growing as we start to see the reward of this dedication through wins and strong performances.

And our competitiveness and resilience are becoming a trademark. From a come-from-behind win in Adelaide, to the courage of Jack Steele fighting through a serious shoulder injury, to the rousing victories over Richmond and Geelong, all have been defining in their own way.

I said previously that to be competitive with the top teams, we needed others to join Jack Steele among the elite of the competition. And how pleasing has it been to see consistent strong form from the likes of Jack Sinclair, Max King, Jade Gresham, Seb Ross, Brad Hill, Callum Wilkie and Brad Crouch, amongst others. 

It has been just as exciting to see the potential of some of our newer players, including our recent draftees Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Marcus Windhager and Mitch Owens, along with mature-aged recruits Jack Hayes and Cooper Sharman

As promising as the past few months have been, this is only a step forward for us and not the ultimate destination.  Our efforts in the first half of the year will count for little if we do not go on with the job and return to finals football this year.

We have a challenging draw ahead, with eight of our next 11 games – four of which are outside of Melbourne – against sides who are currently in the top-eight.  But if we are to do more than just make up the numbers, these are the sides that we need to be able to beat regularly and the challenges we need to be up for. 

We are serious about our aspirations to deliver our members a long-awaited second flag and, to do this, we must be unrelenting in our efforts to improve in all facets of our club.  The disappointment of 2021, after a promising 2020, is a reminder that this improvement and subsequent success will not just happen. 

Looking to the future

Growing our membership by 30 per cent over the past three years reflects the passion and commitment of our supporters, and the continued strengthening of our club by CEO Matt Finnis and his team.  Our next target is 60,000 members and I remain hopeful that we can achieve that this year and demonstrate that we are growing from strength to strength.

I cannot overstate how grateful we are for your incredible loyalty, nor how committed we are to doing all that we can to repay your support. 

As previously announced, Matt’s eight years of service will culminate at the end of the year to be succeeded by current Chief Operating Officer, Simon Lethlean. I will have a lot more to say at that time, but the club is in better shape for Matt’s involvement and we will benefit from some of the foundations established during his tenure for years to come.  Simon’s work at the club to date has given me every confidence that one fine CEO will be followed by another.  For now, it is business as usual and all of us are fortunate to have another season with both of these two talented and committed people on board.

We have an exciting yet challenging game against Brisbane at the Gabba after the bye, and I look forward to seeing many of you back at Marvel Stadium the following Friday for the important occasion that is Spud’s Game against Essendon.

Thanks again for your support and hopefully we can continue to build as a club on and off the field until I write to you again.

Take care and go Saints,

Andrew Bassat.