The night before Fremantle say they first made contact with Ross Lyon last September, the then-Saints coach was in a reflective mood.

St Kilda had just beaten Carlton to secure a home AFL final and Lyon made a point during his post-match media conference of praising his team’s leaders.

He said mainstays such as Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo, Brendon Goddard and Justin Koschitzke deserved recognition for leading a transformation of the club over an extended period.

Lyon also addressed the glaring fact that the playing list was in transition, that it needed regenerating.

On September 15, 12 days after those comments, Lyon was off to the Dockers and on October 15, first-time senior coach Scott Watters replaced him.

Predictably, an overhaul of the Saints football department followed.

But for all that, fundamental questions that Lyon touched on in his September 3 media conference remain stark six months later.

* Has this premiership window shut for Riewoldt and co.?

* How long will it take the Saints to close the hole in their list between the veterans and the kids?

* Do St Kilda rebuild, or is Geelong’s stunning 2011 season a viable inspiration?

Enter Watters, a tough and skilful 109-game midfielder who had rotten luck with injuries.

After his playing career ended, he worked for three years as a mentor in a WA youth detention centre.

Then he coached Subiaco to two WAFL premierships and spent the last two years under Mick Malthouse at Collingwood.

Legend has it that Watters was never afraid to have a difference of opinion with Malthouse.

Here is a man who is walking into the AFL bear pit with no delusions – a good start.

There has been a lot of talk about what changes Watters will make to the Saints’ playing style.

St Kilda’s mix of strict adherence to team structures and an ironclad defence took them to within a whisker of two premierships.

Watters talks about striking more of a balance between attack and defence – and particularly about trying to keep the game further up the ground.

But this is a work in progress.

For all the uncertainty, Watters knows he has inherited a tough, resilient and adaptable bunch.

“I’ve said this a number of times, this is a really coachable group,” Watters said.

“This is a group that’s very committed to implementing.

“I’ve put no ceiling on what this group can achieve.

“What’s important to me is the way they train, what they implement, their competitiveness.

“If they continue all those things the same way they’ve done for the last four to six months, then there will be positive things that fall out of the back of that.”

Halfway through the NAB Cup, the Saints appear in sound shape.

James Gwilt has been their only long-term injury as he recovers from a knee reconstruction.

Watters is pleased with the new conditioning regime and he says his older players are in good shape, physically and mentally.

Above anything else, he wants a group who are ready for the fight.

“There’s so much talk these days about structures, getting the process of your game right,” he said.

“But one of the real intangible qualities that doesn’t get spoken about a lot is the hunger, the spirit, the teammanship.

“That is in my opinion, on top of your structures and your game plan, the really important ingredient.

“It can often define a great year from a good one.”