MEDIA pressure in the game has never been fiercer.

The Saints have played three quarters of poor football in the past two months and they are being judged. With so many people covering the business of football, an undoubted one-upmanship exists and there is a rush to be the first person on the wagon — or, in this case, the first one off it.

As Nick Riewoldt said during the week, "This is an opinions business", and everyone is entitled to theirs.

Adding to the theatre and the focus (and the street credibility for the journo who gets it right) is the match-up we will witness today. The Saints will front up against the seemingly impenetrable Cats.

It seems that the trials and tribulations of the Cats and the Saints have been forever intertwined, and today proves to be another chapter in this modern-day rivalry.

Since they stood together as the Victorian light at the end of the tunnel of interstate dominance, these two sides have been compared at every turn. At this juncture, the comparison casts a bright light on to the Cats and a dark shadow over the Saints.

In 2003, the final eight was a full house of interstate sides, with Collingwood in the mix and Essendon making up the eight. The Victorian perspective was bleak and we read about it ad nauseam.

In 2004, it seemed the white knights were on their way. Collingwood had dropped away, Essendon had stagnated and the Demons continued their impersonation of a yo-yo, alternating between seasons of competitiveness and collapse.

Amid all of this, two young, talented and well-coached teams in the form of St Kilda and Geelong willed themselves into preliminary finals. The Cats took on triple premier Brisbane, falling only nine points shy at the 'G, while the Saints travelled to AAMI Stadium to take on the then reigning triple McClelland Trophy (home-and-away) winner Port Adelaide, and finished a goal short of a place in the grand final.

Both performances were full of merit and, for most, it seemed that for the first time in years there were serious premiership threats with genuine ability and toughness housed within the Victorian borders. If 2004 brought the comparison of these teams into frame, the 2007 season sharpened the focus and the two were separated. Bluntly, one persevered and succeeded; the other wavered and failed.

Every team, of course, paled in comparison to the mighty Geelong side last year but, in many ways, missing the finals altogether highlighted St Kilda's inability to convert the potential they shared with the Cats only three years earlier.

What has brought about the sharp contrast in the fortunes of these two talented teams?

Both lists have remained similar in profile since those '04 preliminary final loses. That fact alone removes most elements of list production from the equation, so father/son and drafting arguments only serve to take assessments of the real difference to this point — the development of the talent obvious in both at that time. In that isolated timeframe, it was apparent that one group had thrived and another had stagnated.

In my opinion, the big change came when both sides reached a fork in the road at the end of 2006. The Cats had struggled through the year, finishing 10th and having some big losses. St Kilda's season lasted just one week longer, when the Saints — who had missed the top four by percentage — surprisingly lost to the Demons in an elimination final.

This was a disappointing season for both clubs, and they faced similar dilemmas. The Cats had performed worse than the Saints in that season, and the two clubs chose different paths. Geelong had an extensive and transparent review that found areas in need of improvement but it maintained faith in the structure and direction that was in place.

St Kilda, however, disintegrated into an ugly mess of personality clashes and disunity, resulting in the sacking of coach Grant Thomas and, ultimately, a conclusion that the path the club was on was flawed and required change.

Off-field stability and unity in this game is paramount. The Cats achieved that, but the Saints could not.

This aspect of a club is hugely underrated. People thrive on trust and responsibility. When they know their role and are encouraged towards it, great things can happen. The opposite is also true. Changes such as those made to the St Kilda football department are like speed humps in the road — they slow you down and they put you off-balance.

The irony in the Saints' decision is that the board that chose to change the coach has since been overthrown, too.

That is not to say that all change is wrong. On the contrary, constant change is necessary in the never-ending quest for best practice. Wiping the slate clean and starting again is something altogether different.

Last year, under new coach Ross Lyon, the Saints took the best part of half a season to adjust to the new game plan. That is half a season (and the whole pre-season before) spent reprogramming a playing group that we all know has the talent and ability to be a consistent top-four team.

This year is another story altogether. While there are aspects of St Kilda's recent past that I believe have affected its ability to turn potential into reality, it is a waste of time looking back.

The assessment of the Saints this season has been extreme in both directions. Early on, they were set for a tilt at the flag. After last week's loss to the Bulldogs, they are pretenders. The truth is somewhere in between.

The way they completed the season proper last year was encouraging. Seven-and-a-half wins from their last 11 games was a massive improvement, and their NAB Cup win this year was most encouraging, with a lot of young players doing jobs at important times.

To put this in perspective, the Cats of 2006 won seven-and-a-half of their last 12 games, won the NAB Cup the next year and then struggled to a 2-3 start before beginning their dominance in 2007.

The Saints of 2008 will contend for a top-four position — there is simply too much talent for them not to. They have great defensive pressure skills through the midfield and talent to burn with the ball in their hands.

To find their best form, I would like to see someone stand up as a defensive pressure forward to create and disrupt in the Aaron Davey/Cyril Rioli mould, remembering that this is a role every forward is responsible for.

Most of the elements are in place for the Saints and with a little tinkering, they will find their best.