St Kilda’s last two games of their brutal AFL season will be a farewell to some club greats and the continuing exposure of generation next.

The Saints host Gold Coast on Saturday and close out the season a week later against Fremantle, also at Etihad Stadium.

Coach Scott Watters remains hopeful Lenny Hayes will announce next week that he will go on for another season.

But Watters added that more than one of the veterans who took the Saints to within a whisker of a premiership in 2009-10 are about to go.

“We have some great legends of the club – the window eventually closes for everyone,” Watters said.

“We’ll have some announcements early next week.

“But we want those players who are leaving the club, who’ve given great service, to go out with a lot of respect and a lot of dignity.”

Watters said Hayes’ playing future is entirely in his hands.

The veteran onballer needed open heart surgery late last year and has been plagued by calf muscle injuries this season.

Hayes returns for the Gold Coast game, while Cameron Shenton will be the ninth first-gamer this year for the Saints.

St Kilda only have three wins this year, but Watters has continued to give as much experience as possible to their youngsters.

One new player who has impressed in the last month is Tom Curren, who has played on stars such as Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell and Sydney’s Dan Hannebery.

On Sunday, Curren could well have the toughest midfield job in the AFL – head-to-head with Gary Ablett.

“We might throw the role to a young Tom Curren, who in the last four or five weeks has had some pretty big roles,” Watters said.

Ablett has been off his best form in the last two or three weeks, but the Saints coach is wary of what the Brownlow Medal favourite will produce this week.

“You can jump at all those shadows – we expect him, like all of them, to play his best footy,” Watters said.

“You prepare for his absolute best.

“You can’t predict form one way or the other.”