Mason Wood says St Kilda’s exhilarating finish to the 2024 season won’t be forgotten by the playing group any time soon, with the emotions and memories of the past few weeks to be used as fuel for next year’s campaign.

While a lot of the external conversation surrounding St Kilda had turned to its possible draft hand and ladder position in the wake of a finals campaign being ruled out some weeks prior, Wood and the Saints were determined not to let the final games go to waste.

The Saints won six of its last nine games to finish in 12th after teetering on the edge of the bottom-four, including rousing wins over top-eight sides Sydney, Geelong and Carlton which hinted at the red, white and black towards the peak of their powers. 

“I think it’s been two of the best weeks of football I’ve been a part of,” Wood told Triple M post-game.

“I think it sets the precedent for us next year. The boys will take so much confidence from the last two weeks. It just proves that we’re there, a bit of bad luck at the start of the year with some injuries and lost a few close ones, but otherwise we’d be right there.

Ross Lyon's side secured the win over Carlton in the game’s dying seconds courtesy of a magical Jack Higgins snap, which temporarily put the Blues’ finals hopes in jeopardy and had them relying on the outcome of the proceeding match between Fremantle and Port Adelaide to secure a September berth.

After breaking into September last season, St Kilda finished the season two games and percentage outside of the top-eight, however within that had five games decided by single figures.

“That’s just the great state of the game at the minute with how many teams could make the eight this week, and that’s exactly what you want,” Wood said.

“We saw this as a blockbuster game for us. It was theirs to lose as far as what they had to play for, but it was great character-building stuff.

“It’ll be a driving force for the whole summer and we’ll be gunning come Round 1.”