Editing St Kilda Football Club (section)

===2012–present: post grand finals struggles and rebuild===

The years after the departure of Ross Lyon did not prove fruitful for St Kilda. They failed to make the finals in 2012 for the first time since 2007<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paton |first1=Al |title=St Kilda Saints 2012 Report Card |url=https://amp.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/st-kilda-2012-report-card/news-story/c0f2375b0a8d1229e93501f2adc1b908 |website=amp.couriermail.com.au |access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref> and continued poor performances that ultimately culminated in the club finishing last in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adelaide wins final game, Saints finish with wooden spoon |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-31/adelaide-wins-final-game-saints-finish-with-wooden-spoon/5708854 |website=www.abc.net.au |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=en-AU |date=2014-08-31}}</ref> Despite this, the [[2013 St Kilda Football Club season|2013 season]] marked a historic moment for St Kilda and the AFL when St Kilda hosted the first premiership match outside of Australia in [[New Zealand]].<ref name=ANZAC>{{cite web |title=Saints announce historic partnership |url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/758830/saints-announce-historic-partnership |website=saints.com.au |date=12 September 2012 |access-date=30 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Following the 2013 season, senior coach [[Scott Watters]] was sacked.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paxinos |first1=Stathi |last2=Spits |first2=Scott |title=St Kilda coach Scott Watters sacked |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/st-kilda-coach-scott-watters-sacked-20131101-2wpoa.html |website=The Age |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=en |date=2013-11-01}}</ref> On 14 November, former Port Adelaide director of coaching [[Alan Richardson (footballer, born 1965)|Alan Richardson]] was announced as new senior coach for the next three years.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Kilda appoint Alan Richardson as new coach |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/14/st-kilda-appoint-alan-richardson |website=the Guardian |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=en |date=2013-11-14}}</ref>

Following further poor performances in the [[2018 St Kilda Football Club season|2018]] and [[2019 St Kilda Football Club season|2019]] seasons, Richardson was advised that his contract would not be renewed for 2020. As a result, he resigned from his position as senior coach. Assistant coach [[Brett Ratten]] took over as caretaker coach.<ref>{{cite web |title='It's not a job, it's a journey': Richardson's classy response to exit |url=https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-alan-richardson-quits-as-st-kilda-coach-c-290032 |website=7NEWS.com.au |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=en |date=2019-07-16}}</ref> After winning three of the season's last six games, Ratten was appointed permanent senior coach in September 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brett Ratten appointed St Kilda's new coach after successful audition |url=https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/brett-ratten-c-437502 |website=7NEWS.com.au |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=en |date=2019-09-05}}</ref> During the 2019 trade period, four high-profile players requested a trade to St Kilda and many discussions were held with other players looking to move.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/saints-are-the-ones-to-watch-this-trade-period-20191008-p52ytz.html|title=Saints are the ones to watch this trade period|last=Niall|first=Jake|date=2019-10-08|website=The Age|access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref>

In the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports#Australian rules football|COVID-19-shortened]] [[2020 AFL season|2020 season]], the club managed 10 of a possible 17 wins to qualify for their first finals series since 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/three-coaches-three-hqs-and-3296-days-this-is-how-st-kilda-escaped-the-wilderness/news-story/5da989afe43a3df55f86d50222046a73|title=Three coaches, three HQs and 3296 days: This is how St Kilda escaped the wilderness|last=Morris|first=Tom|website=Fox Footy|date=18 September 2020|access-date=7 October 2020}}</ref> During the finals campaign, St Kilda would defeat the Western Bulldogs in an elimination final by 3 points, bringing the first finals victory to the club since 2010 preliminary final against the same opponent. Richmond would later defeat St Kilda by 31 points in the semi-final, ending their campaign. In the following [[2021 St Kilda Football Club season|2021]] season, the club would decline in performance, leading to the club finishing 10th with only a 10–12 record. In the [[2022 St Kilda Football Club season|2022]] season, after starting at an impressive 8-3 record by round 11, the club would then win only three of their last 11, leading to an 11-11 record, finishing 10th once again. On October 14, 2022, senior coach Brett Ratten would be sacked by the club. Former St Kilda coach Ross Lyon would be reinstated as senior coach for the 2023 season.

In the [[2023 AFL season|2023 season]], Ross Lyon's first season back as coach, St Kilda would return to the finals, finishing sixth with a 13–10 record. They would be defeated by [[Greater Western Sydney Giants|Greater Western Sydney]] by 24 points in the elimination final.