2020 was a season that had it all, and then some.

It was a journey unparalleled in the AFL's long and storied history, and for the Saints, an inimitable experience that was crucial in laying the foundations for a successful feature. 

In a year that threw curveball after curveball and was inundated in uncertainty, St Kilda ultimately persevered to piece together one of its most memorable campaigns.

In recognition of the year that was, we've counted down 20 of the most memorable moments that defined the first chapter of the club's new era.

20. A season shut down

In the heavy hour following the Saints’ Round 1 upset loss to North Melbourne, a stony-faced Gillon McLachlan did something that’s never been done in 123 years of league football: put the entire competition on hold.

It was a foreboding moment after an already gloomy, crowd-free Round 1, but would prove an AFL masterstroke given the completion of Season 2020.

In the interim however, no one had any indication as to when – or if – the season would return, and it would look like moving forward.

RSEA Park was subsequently emptied, first of its equipment, then of its people as players, coaches and staff disbanded to all corners of the country as COVID-19 thrust the world into the unknown. 

THE MARCH: Watch Episode 1 of St Kilda's all-access documentary series

It would be another 84 days before the Saints’ season resumed against the Western Bulldogs in front of an empty Marvel Stadium.

19. Danger, danger, danger!

A seemingly unassuming trade to bring Dan Butler to St Kilda was never predicted to take the football world by storm.

But it quickly became apparent that Head of List Management James Gallagher had masterminded a major coup for the red, white and black, as the crafty small forward exploded onto the scene post-restart.

Butler applied fierce pressure, blistering pace and had a goal sense mirroring the Saints’ famous No. 44, instantly becoming a fan-favourite in the process.

With a place in the All Australian squad, runner-up finish in the Trevor Barker Award and club goalkicking honours to his name, Dan Butler’s career at the Saints couldn’t have started any hotter.

18. The Long way to the top

Ben Long’s move to the backline arguably produced his best footy to date.

The tough-as-nails half-back brought a hard edge to the young back six, as well as a refreshing freedom and confidence to take the game on.

But his return to an accustomed defensive position also showcased his high-flying intercept ability, with a courageous mark back with the flight against Carlton was Ben Long to a tee.

It wasn’t the only screamer that night, with Long taking to the skies shortly after to reel in his second Mark of the Year nomination in five games. 

17. The Noosa Saints

Moorabbin, Junction Oval, Alpaca Paddock… all – at some point in time – have been homes to St Kilda throughout its 147-year existence.

It’s fair to say that no-one would have anticipated Noosa would make that list.

But 2020, as has been said so many times before, was a year unmatched.

Within 48 hours of seeing off Carlton at Marvel Stadium, players, coaches and staff had packed their bags and headed up north to the Sunshine State and keep the season alive.

As the ‘Noosa Saints’ nestled in for what was meant to be 31-day stay, that initial forecast was extended significantly as the situation in Victoria worsened.

Noosa would be where they’d ultimately remain for over 100 days. But it wasn’t going to be a journey of adversity, according to Brett Ratten. It was one of opportunity.

16. Back-to-back at Adelaide Oval

Back-to-back outings at Adelaide Oval – a winless venue for the Saints – in the space of six days loomed as an ominous prospect to derail the red, white and black’s confidence.

With Adelaide first up on the agenda, a Jack Steele-led performance willed St Kilda over the line to register its first ever win in Adelaide since 2011.

But the encore the following week against the top-of-the-table Power was even sweeter, with a scintillating performance knocking the flag fancies down and casting aside the Saints’ ‘pretenders’ moniker.

Paddy Ryder and Rowan Marshall were colossal in the unexpected triumph, while Jack Steele registered back-to-back maximum Brownlow votes for his white-hot midfield displays.

Two interstate wins in six days at a previously winless venue, with a scalp against the minor Premiers to boot? Belief about where the club was headed in 2020 wasn’t just beginning to creep in… it was starting to flood in.

15. Membrey or Messi?

Round 8 saw the Saints head back to Adelaide Oval for a second consecutive week to face a side in blinding form, eventual minor Premiers Port Adelaide.

With the Power still in the contest and threatening to undo a valiant triumph, 100-gamer Tim Membrey stepped up to the plate.

Channelling his inner Jean-Claude Van Damme, a mid-air karate kick in the goal square astounded onlookers as the Sherrin miraculously popped over the goal line.

But none were more surprised than Membrey when the score review showed the ball had been spoiled onto his boot by Port Adelaide skipper Tom Jonas.

The Saints closed out the final quarter with five unanswered goals, which by season’s end marked the first win over an eventual minor Premier for the first time in a decade.

14. Browny bids farewell

2020 brought an abrupt end to a glittering career for one of the Saints’ most loved players.

Shortly after arriving in Noosa, veteran defender Nathan Brown quietly departed, without fuss or limelight, to return to his wife and two girls in Victoria.

Before leaving, Brown penned an emotional farewell letter to his teammates, which was later read out in full to the playing group by Player Welfare Manager Tony Brown.

13. The 'mini-JB' steps into his own

With a slew of defenders and new recruits flooding into the side at the start of the season, Ben Paton appeared to be one of the young talents to be squeezed out of the line-up.

But Season 2020 was quite the opposite, with the country kid from Tallangatta playing every game this season as a crucial shutdown defender.

All-Australians Eddie Betts, Tom Papley, Toby Greene and Charlie Cameron all featured on Paton’s rap sheet, with the no-fuss Saint getting the job done every time with minimal external plaudits.

Paton finished just shy of the top-10 at this year’s Trevor Barker Award and was unlucky to miss selection in the 40-man AFL Players’ Association 22Under22 side.

12. Playing with passion

There’s nothing better than slotting one against your old side, and that’s exactly what a wound-up Zak Jones did in Round 9 to keep the persistent Sydney outfit at bay.

Although receiving a little bit of feedback from his old side after his celebration, the ex-Swan would go on to have the final say as the Saints – led by three goals from Nicholas Hind – stormed towards a 54-point victory.

Jones wasn’t the new Saint to pile on the pain against his old side in 2020: Butler was best-on-ground against the Tigers in Round 4 with four goals, Dougal Howard kept Charlie Dixon to one goal in Round 8, while Paddy Ryder in the same match booted two terrific majors to help pull off a fabulous win.

11. The Coff

Nick Coffield’s rise in 2020 was absolutely spectacular.

After being overlooked in Round 1, the marking machine locked down his place for the remainder of the year to become one of the league’s most prolific aerialists.

‘The Coff’, as he’s come to be known, was the youngest player throughout the home-and-away season to reel in over 100 marks, and also topped the Saints’ stats for marks, intercept marks and intercept possessions.

While several dominant marking performances punctuated his top-five finish at the Trevor Barker Award, none were more important than his eight from the elimination final.

10. Five minutes left, one Saints stands tall

With St Kilda’s past three outings against Gold Coast determined by less than a kick, it looked as if the incredible luck would finally run out in 2020.

On the charge with just four points the difference and five minutes to go, the Stuart Dew’s men were barrelling towards an emphatic – and for the Saints, shattering – finish.

But incredibly, against the waves of pressure and the increasing heat on the contest, one young Saint stood tall to deliver a top-shelf final few moments to push his side to victory.

As if he was in multiple places at once, the unfazed and exceedingly slick Hunter Clark helped save the day with six disposals, three rebounds and a spoil in the dying moments.

Immeasurable composure, brilliant evasive skills and with all the makings of a star: we can’t wait to see more of this kid.

9. Reunited

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as players, coaches and staff were finally reunited with their families in Noosa after six long weeks apart.

Little Rattens, Hamills, Kents, McGlynns, Gearys, Rougheads, Ryders and plenty others quickly filled the hub in the blink of an eye, overflowing into team meetings and day-to-day club activities to truly embrace what it meant to be part of the ‘Saints family’.

8. Wilkie takes the reins  

While Jade Gresham’s injury after Round 11 left a significant hole in the Saints’ line-up, there was another position that desperately needed to be filled.

Although not as integral as an inside mid, the role of ‘lead singer’ during the club’s famous theme song is one that has internally been held in high regard for many years.

Delegating the task was no light matter, with Gresham consulting former chorus leaders Jack Steven and Stephen Milne before entrusting Callum Wilkie with the esteemed club honour.

Wilkie was able to lead the iconic verse four times against the Bombers, Hawks, Giants and finally, the Western Bulldogs after the heart-racing elimination final.

7. Hanners returns

With a spot in the finals hanging in the balance, the Saints were adamant to leave no stone unturned in their hunt for a post-season campaign.

Dan Hannebery, who had flown back to Victoria for hamstring surgery and was completing his quarantine in the AFL's Queensland hub with Gary Ablett Jr and Shane Edwards, had simultaneously declared himself ready to go for Round 18.

There was only a small window for the three-time All-Australian to finish his two weeks' isolation, return to the line-up, squeeze in one training session and then play. But the Saints decided to roll the dice.

Hannebery made it through the contest on managed game-time as the Saints booked their spot in October, before the unhampered on-baller playing a vital hand in the following fortnight's elimination final.

6. Finals-bound!

The eight-day lead-up to St Kilda’s final home-and-away match of the year was perhaps more agonising than the countdown to its first finals appearance a fortnight later.

With one round to go and sitting in the top-eight, the Saints’ finals hopes still hung in the balance as one of either Melbourne, GWS or the Western Bulldogs threatened to slip into finals football in their stead.

The tension was finally alleviated as the match got underway, with the ravenous Saints holding a firm hand on the contest from siren-to-siren to confirm an ardent 52-point win.

That final siren was one of the sweetest sounds heard by all those who bleed red, white and black for the better part of a decade, and as emotions ran high and tears slowly leaked out, reality begun to sink in.

The Saints are in finals football…

5. Oh When the Saints

…and gees, wasn’t it heart-warming to see just how much it meant to break the finals drought.

After conquering the year unlike any other, the adrenaline-fuelled players beckoned for every single member of St Kilda’s coaching and support staff to join the circle and belt out the team song after the famous win.

Wilkie led the charge in style, the faithful were in full voice from all corners of the nation and the affirming whoops and cheers at the end of the song had everyone pumped for a salivating elimination final.

4. Babies in the bubble

In perhaps the most life-affirming moment for the Saints in the Noosa hub, skipper Jarryn Geary and wife Emma welcomed their second child, a little boy, into the world: Freddie Geary.

Freddie joined new bub William Roughead a few short weeks after his arrival, before Jake Carlisle put family first to be with his wife for the birth of their third child on the eve of the semi-final.

3. The Man of Steele

Jack Steele. Where to start?

From second-string Giant to star Saint, the Canberra product’s rise has been astronomical.

With the backing of the senior coach, Steele was “let off the chain” in 2020 and subsequently relished in his new role as the Saints’ premier on-baller.

Always among the Saints’ best and near-unstoppable through his uncompromising plays, Steele capped off his career-best season with a slew of accolades, including a maiden Trevor Barker Award, first-time All-Australian selection, the Lenny Hayes Players' Crest Award and the Dare Iced Coffee Sainter of the Year Award.

The No. 9’s outstanding campaign similarly earned a third-place finish in the Brownlow Medal and top-five finishes in the AFL Players’ Association MVP and AFL Coaches’ Association Champion Player of the Year Awards.

Steeley might need to ask Rowan Marshall for some tips on how to build a new silverware cabinet now… 

2. Ryder proves his point

It would ultimately end in hamstring heartbreak, but Paddy Ryder’s stirring performance in the heart-racing elimination final was arguably what got the Saints over line.

After 257 games, the 32-year-old ruckman had finally earned his first ever finals win. Most importantly, he’d proved to himself and others that he still had quality footy left in the tank.

Emotions boiled over at the final siren, as Ryder – whose hamstring tendon had given way with just under two minutes left on the clock – was left in tears on the bench after the career-defining victory.

The big man’s determination to give himself every chance couldn’t be questioned, staying awake from dusk to dawn to ice his hamstring in the hopes he’d be set for a semi-final berth.  

We all know it wasn’t to be, but whatever it was that gripped Ryder in those early hours of Sunday morning has subsequently garnered the utmost respect among the faithful.

1. The drought is broken

Brett Ratten wasn’t the only one to age “five to ten years in that last quarter” of the elimination final, but would it really be a classic St Kilda game for the history books that didn’t happen?

A blistering performance from the Saints – complete with a Paddy Ryder masterclass and two vital goals from skipper Jarryn Geary – looked to have the result in the books with a four-goal lead at the final change.

But the Bulldogs still had bite, and as St Kilda’s lead slowly whittled away in the last term, heart rates right around the country hit dangerously high levels.

Nick Coffield would be the saviour with three points the difference, winning a free kick in the final minute to ice the game and deliver the club its first finals win in a decade.

What a memory.