There may not be "any yahooing" as Hawthorn comes next up on St Kilda's radar, but Ross Lyon ends tonight satisfied of his side's collective effort which culminated in a 12-point victory over GWS.

Thirteen lead changes across the evening had the Saints rolling the sleeves up on ample occasions, pulling through each time to end the gritty, hard-fought night on the right side of the ledger and consolidate their place in the top-eight.

GWS hit the front early in the final term courtesy of a smooth goal from big man Kieren Briggs, but the Saints steadied when it mattered most before Max King (four goals) and Jack Sinclair (37 disposals, two goals) capped off the cumulation of individual efforts across the ground with respective majors.

"It was a real collective on and off-field team effort, I thought. To come here and get the four points... we've got a short week, so there won't be any yahooing, we'll get onto Hawthorn real quick, but I was really pleased," Lyon said in his post-game press conference.

"We were really confident at three-quarter time, we just said 'we've got the right method, we just need to tidy up a couple of things'. My assistant coaches were fantastic at half-time, Enright, Harvey and Hayes, they just said 'look, if we tidy up one, two and three...' they shared that to the players.

"We knew it would be a challenge. They've got a lot of talent, a lot of speed and played an aggressive game style. I thought it was a really up-tempo game. We just tweaked a few things tot get it on our terms after half-time and I thought we did that really well."

The Saints were buoyed by the return of star forward Max King, who booted four goals - including the Saints' first of the day - in his first outing since pre-season shoulder surgery. 

While Lyon never expected the world from the young spearhead, it certainly came close to it with his impact extending well beyond the scoreboard influence and seeping into the output of his teammates.

"I just spoke in the rooms that it was a credit to an eight-month rehab. He had a setback with a hamstring tendon, but he was unwavering in his approach and he got due reward today which was fantastic," Lyon said.

"I think he'll get better and better, and he really helps Caminiti play a bit better as well. He's really important. He's 200-odd centimetres and, even when he doesn't mark it, he brings it to ground generally.

"I think that dovetails in (to our smalls), they need those talls to drop some crumbs to them. I thought in that third quarter we weren't crumbing very well and we were getting beaten at the fall of the ball. We tidied that up and Butler, Higgins, Gresham and Phillipou's pressure was pretty good late."

King may have taken the lion's share of headlines, but reigning Best & Fairest Jack Sinclair was star of the show.

The Saints leader was the main attraction with 37 disposals and two crucial majors, but "had a few join the band" as the Saints gelled across all lines to bank the four points.

"Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera really got going, Hill got to work and I thought Wood moved around and had some moments," Lyon said.

"If we're only about one player we're in trouble, but Sinclair was significant, there's no doubt about it."

St Kilda will be without young star Mitch Owens following an accidental, sickening knee to the head from teammate Anthony Caminiti in a contest in the closing minutes of the second quarter.

Owens will enter the AFL's concussion protocols as a result, however the Saints could regain fellow forward Tim Membrey from the same ailment in time for Round 11.

"I thought (Mitch) was outstanding early on," Lyon said.

"Theoretically, it might have come at the right time. He'll miss Hawthorn, gets the bye and then he'll hopefully be OK. It could have been worse; at least it didn't get him frontal, it was more the back.

Ladder positions will be irrelevant heading into next week's clash against Hawthorn, who posted a mammoth 116-point win over West Coast earlier today in Tasmania.

"We've been in a couple of dour fests against North... I think there was one other, I can't remember. But after last week it was important to bounce back. It's such an even competition, the AFL would be thrilled," Lyon said.

"Gee, we go to Hawthorn who just kicked 150 points, so that's going to be a real challenge for us."