When the possibility of finals drifted from slim to nearly impossible a fortnight ago, St Kilda Coach Alan Richardson challenged his side to maintain their focus and finish the season with two wins and a positive season. By Sunday night, the mission was completed, leaving the Saints third-year Coach with a beaming smile in his post-match press conference.

Sunday’s 58-point win over Brisbane completed an impressive year by the Saints, continuing an upward trajectory under Richardson’s watch, which started with four wins in 2014, grew to six last season and now ends with 12 in year three.

Richardson conceded that navigating games that have next to no bearing on your season aren’t easy, but to finish the year with a positive win-loss record for the first time in his tenure, and for the first time since 2012, reflects the progress St Kilda is making.

“It’s a tricky game the last round, when you’re not playing to play finals,” Richardson told reporters at his post-match press conference on Sunday night.

“I reckon this round, as much as any, has shown that those who are still going are playing really strong footy and those that know it’s their last probably weren’t at their best.

“So with that in mind, we wanted to finish off really positively; we wanted to finish off with a winning season and to go 12-10 is pleasing. There were a lot of positives and it caps off a season that reflects we’re going the right way.

“I think our guys and our footy club will go into the break thinking we’ve done a lot right, but we’ve still got a fair bit of work to do. The gap between our best and our worst is still too big but we’re certainly playing better footy.”

Asked to peer into the future, Richardson suggested that for more improvement to come in 2017, St Kilda will need individuals to continue to improve and not become complacent after career-best seasons.

And while Tom Hickey, Seb Ross and Tim Membrey have drawn the most external praise this season for their spike in output, Richardson lauded the improvement of Jack Newnes in 2016, after the gut-running wingman closed out another dependable season on Sunday.

“Fundamentally, we’ll need our individuals to continue to improve and that’s been pleasing. That will be the message and the want over the break that everyone needs to improve again.

“So, Hickey, Ross, Membrey are probably the obvious ones, but we think Newnes has certainly gone to another level. Jack Steven’s had a really, really, strong year. We think Sean Dempster’s improved as a footballer.”

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