At a glance:

• Brett Ratten has credited St Kilda's on-field form in part to their off-field connection during isolation.
• The Saints' Round 2 line-up featured 14 players with less than 50 games played for the club, and seven with less than 10.
• Achieving consistency and feeling comfortable is the biggest challenge for younger players, according to Ratten.

Sunday’s victory against the Western Bulldogs offered a glimpse of the new St Kilda.

It was tangible proof of Brett Ratten’s well-documented coaching philosophy, built upon connectivity, trust and relationships.

But attaining that level of connection amid a global pandemic has been no easy feat.

Disjointed training sessions, selection squeezes, a disappointing Round 1 and all the subsequent curveballs COVID-19 has thrown would be enough to steer any organisation off course, but the Saints have held firm.

“I think it’s a bit of the credit to the boys themselves,” Ratten told saints.com.au.

“Throughout the isolation period, they stayed connected with different teammates training with them, WhatsApp groups, Zoom and just catching up with people online and making sure they were okay.

“I think even though we weren’t together, we still stayed strongly connected, and I think that was pretty evident on game-day on Sunday.”

St Kilda’s first triumph of the year was made even more impressive considering the lack of game-time the new-look Saints have had together.

Recruits Bradley Hill, Paddy Ryder, Dan Butler, Zak Jones and Dougal Howard have played two games in their new colours, while Dan Hannebery has notched up just seven.

Youngsters Nick Coffield and Ben Paton have played less than 20 games – Hunter Clark and Ben Long slightly ahead with 31 and 32 respectively – while mature-age recruit Nicholas Hind has just 12 to his name.

Max King, swung straight to full-forward, has played two.

Also closing in on senior selection are Josh Battle (26 games) and Jonathon Marsh (five for St Kilda).

“Playing more games allows you to be comfortable in the AFL space, and that’s something that they’re building towards,” Ratten said.

“When you become comfortable, I suppose you become more consistent, and that’s the challenge for any group, but especially for younger players.

“That’s the challenge, but that’s what we want to see.

“Their form is good when they’re up and about and consistent in the way they go about it, they play good footy and are great contributors to the team.”