At a glance:

• Round 2 emergencies Jonathon Marsh, Luke Dunstan, Jack Sinclair and Josh Battle made Brett Ratten immensely proud through their actions post-match.
• The group greeted the victorious Saints in the empty changerooms, cheering the group on and congratulating them on their triumph.
• Ratten said the quartet's energy and willingness to put the team before themselves, despite the circumstances of 2020, were commendable.

A win to restart Season 2020 had every Sainter far and wide grinning from ear-to-ear.

But it was in-house where possibly the happiest Saints of the evening took camp.

And it wasn’t the players who had beaten the Bulldogs in convincing fashion who were the most excited. Nor senior coach Brett Ratten, who had just notched up his first win officially at the helm of the red, white and black.

Instead, it was St Kilda’s four emergencies – Luke Dunstan, Jonathon Marsh, Jack Sinclair and Josh Battle – who were beaming from ear-to-ear, greeting the troops in the changerooms and giving them the whoops, cheers and claps they would typically hear post-match.

Normally after an emphatic victory, players are greeted to raucous applause in the rooms from a hundred-odd family, friends and football staff. In our COVID-19-stricken world, those once vibrant changerooms act as cavernous, lifeless echo chambers.

It may have been a small action from the four emergencies who brought that room to life, but it was something that put an even bigger smile on an immensely proud Brett Ratten.

“It’s one of those things, the enjoyment you get from others having success and doing some good things,” Ratten told saints.com.au.

“Those guys recognise that as well, and applauding their teammates for doing something well was really evident on the day.

“Even now during the week it’s still been the same.”

All bar Dunstan are yet to have their crack at senior level in the upended Season 2020, with Battle, Marsh and Sinclair selected as back-up for Rounds 1 and 2.

With limited time to impress in disparate training groups, no VFL games to accumulate match-day minutes and COVID-19 restrictions clamping down what would once be considered the football norm, forcing their way back into the senior line-up has never been harder.

But in line with Ratten’s coaching philosophy to build relationships and nurture a connected culture, the actions of the four stood out.

“That’s probably the hardest situation of all isn’t it – they’ve watched the team, the team’s played well and they’re probably thinking ‘oh, I might not even get in next week,” Ratten said.

“But to have that energy… the smile on Jonathon Marsh’s face was so big, and he was so happy for his teammates.

“Sure, there were 22 that ran out there on Sunday, but on the weekend, they were a team of 26.

“Those guys did play. They helped their team before the game and they celebrated with them after, and it was a great visual experience.

“Marsh, Battle, Sinclair and Dunstan, their enjoyment for others was so evident and very, very pleasing to think they could give themselves over to the team that much, even though they didn’t play on the day.”