IT WAS late Saturday night in Sydney some six weeks ago. The Saints had just lost their seventh game of the season at the SCG against the Swans.

Back in Melbourne, thousands of St Kilda supporters who had been watching the game on the box had gone to bed frustrated and angry. Many had lost faith and felt that a season that promised so much was going to amount to little more than a mini-disaster.

Over the next week, the club took a battering. Captain Nick Riewoldt couldn't kick straight and at times didn't look interested, so said the talkback caller. Another felt that coach Ross Lyon had restricted the team's flair and that the players didn't want to play for him. One journalist wrote that ruckman/forward Justin Koschitzke was a pretender, that he had done nothing of real substance in his time at the club. Another journo believed that Lyon, who came from Sydney, hadn't embraced his new club. Full-back Max Hudghton was believed to be over the hill, ruckman Steven King couldn't jump, Nick Dal Santo was too loose, Stephen Milne too hungry, Robert Harvey too old and the midfield too slow. But it didn't stop there. Sydney imports Sean Dempster and Adam Schneider were premiership players but had done nothing in their new colours. The Saints also, for the past four seasons, had been reluctant to introduce new, young players to the team. Things were looking decidedly grim.

At that point, with a 5-7 record, the coach, who was being torched by plenty, made a courageous and massive statement. He dropped leading midfielder Dal Santo and leading goalkicker Milne from the team. He then introduced three first-gamers. It was a gutsy and bold move that shocked everyone. I suspect Dal Santo was dropped primarily because he had been allowed to play his entire career without having any accountability on his direct opponent. Milne also didn't play tight enough when required, got outpositioned too easily and too often, and the gap between his good and bad games was huge. Playing Fremantle after the Sydney loss, the easy option would have been to stick with the high-possession-getter and goalkicker but the coach felt that enough was enough. It's my experience with footballers that you can threaten, fine and give extra training sessions to try to prove a point, but they often don't work. What does work is stripping them of their AFL footballer identity, which means so much to them. The penny drops when the player is dropped. From that point on, every St Kilda player was put on notice. It would be the catalyst for the Saints turning their season around.

The four wins on the trot that have put St Kilda back in the eight and given their supporters hope have been varied. Fremantle was a gutsy struggle with a team full of kids. North Melbourne at Carrara was even gutsier. A five-goal deficit was willed into a five goal win. Carlton at the 'G on a Friday night was impressive and real credibility was earned last Saturday night with another come-from-behind win against the highly respected Hawks.

Under Lyon's 38-game tenure, the team has been improving its defensive responsibilities. Now the flair and excitement is coming through. Why? Because non-negotiable standards have been set, older players have found form, new young players have created enthusiasm and the coach has made some winning on-field moves.

Captain Riewoldt has been terrific. He is leading from the front. He has thrown off his bandages and hurled himself into the fray. Koschitzke has stepped up, too. Winning contested marks lifts his teammates and results in goals. King's tapwork in the ruck has been superb. The ever-reliable Lenny Hayes has never had a decent ruckman to work with. Now he has, and Michael Gardiner looks capable of giving King strong support.

Early in the season, Leigh Montagna couldn't cope with his taggers. He lost confidence and stopped running. The coach reversed his role and had Montagna hunt others. The work-rate has returned. There was not enough dash in the midfield, so Brendon Goddard and Jason Gram have gone from defence to give speed support to the likes of Harvey and Luke Ball. Having Gram tag a gun like Chris Judd gives him real focus.

Dempster has done some excellent run-with roles on dangerous forwards to earn respect at his new club and Schneider finally looks fit enough to play at the highest level. Dal Santo and Milne have returned, and now cherish and value their roles.

And now the Saints are flicking the ball around and playing on quickly more than ever before. They are "owning" the ball, with more uncontested possessions, and last week had more than 400 disposals for the first time in the club's history. The defence, led by Hudghton and Sam Fisher, deserves plenty of credit. Over the past month, only Geelong has let fewer goals through. A win tonight in Perth against West Coast is a must. At 10-7 and with a favourable draw, it is not beyond the Saints to finish top four. The doubters would never have thought that.