ROSS Lyon brought with him many qualities when he left a three-year stint as an assistant coach with Sydney to take on the senior job at St Kilda.
A sound tactical mind. An intimate involvement with one of the AFL's most astute coaching panels. And having played a big part in directing a playing group that consistently squeezed every last possible drop of ability from itself.
The latter hasn't been something you would so far have associated with the St Kilda he has overseen. But Lyon's Saints are beginning to ape another characteristic of Sydney that has served the Swans so well in recent years — the capacity to peak at the critical moment.
St Kilda might have left its run pretty late in 2007, but in a race for the final spot in the eight with as many as six contenders, the Saints are coming home harder and faster than any of their rivals.
While injuries hadn't helped, there was a hesitancy and lack of confidence about St Kilda over the first half of this season that betrayed a team clearly struggling to come to grips with a new master's voice.
After Saturday night's impressive win over Hawthorn, the Saints' fourth victory from five games since their mid-season break, the other lost by just nine points to Collingwood, it is clear the penny has well and truly dropped.
The 17-point win over a team sitting second on the ladder was a potent reminder of how good St Kilda can be when everything clicks, nowhere more so than in a once-feted midfield that had appeared to have lost much of its gloss.
It's hard to remember the last time the Saints' engine room played as well as a group. St Kilda's best four players against the Hawks were Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna.
Each had at least 30 disposals, collectively 121. Not meaningless sideways chips, either, but quick, precise touches that damaged the Hawks nearly every time. Significantly, too, that group didn't include Robert Harvey, who though still making a valuable contribution, wasn't the be-all and end-all of St Kilda's chances.
Lyon's focus on an increased accountability by his new team looked early on this season to have perhaps sacrificed a little too much of the Saints' attacking flair. It's a lot easier now to see what he was getting at.
On Saturday night, St Kilda's best runners and users of the ball were able to do their thing while their much-vaunted Hawthorn opponents were simultaneously shut out of the picture, thanks to some inspired match-ups that didn't cost the Saints any creativity.
Jason Blake on Shane Crawford, the sometime ruckman 15 centimetres taller but with no less stamina than his opponent, was a beauty. As was Leigh Fisher on Sam Mitchell. Which left Steven Baker, once the sum total of the Saints' defensive midfield qualities, to take care of Chance Bateman, often the Hawk who gets off the chain.
It also allowed Ball to creep forward more often to use his skills. Having kicked just one goal all season, he managed three on Saturday night.
It was a similar story in defence, where Jason Gram was given the task on "Buddy" Franklin, freeing up Sam Fisher to exploit even further his capacity to rebound, 25 disposals including five inside 50s, more than enough vindication of the idea. Sam Gilbert, too, is coming on in a hurry, adding something more to the back line.
Lyon said after Saturday night's win that the mid-season break had offered his side a chance to work on some specific areas. One of those, clearly, was speed of ball movement. Since the break, St Kilda has carried the ball forward a little more quickly and with more assurance each week.
The confidence, run and skill of the Saints is returning at the perfect moment. That doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of hurdles to overcome, starting this week with the potential loss of Justin Koschitzke to suspension.
But a favourable draw serves up the hapless Carlton next weekend, then the Western Bulldogs and Sydney, both of whom the Saints have had the wood over in recent times, Fremantle and West Coast, both at home, and bottom side Richmond to finish off.
That should offer plenty of hope that something pretty substantial could still be made of a season rapidly going pear-shaped only six weeks ago. In a race to the finals this tight, timing could be everything. And St Kilda's looks to be spot on.
