The 2010s have been a period of decline for the Saints, however many quickly forget about the successes of the team in the early part of the decade.
Many of their best players during the 2010s have unfortunately been away from the club for a considerable amount of time and at present, the Saints' list isn't really up to the standard of those in the past.
That being said, it is still tough to split the likes of Brendon Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna.
These rankings look specifically at the body of work of a particular player from the 2010 season onwards and our positioning of some of the greats of the St. Kilda footy club will likely cause much debate.
That being said, there were 10 players who stood out from the rest.
Drafted with the 9th pick in the 2006 AFL Draft, Armitage has played consistently for the Saints for the entirety of the decade.
Armitage announced his retirement this season and played his final game against the Lions in Round 14 this year.
While the latter part of the decade has been less productive for Armitage due to injury and age, his midfield contributions should not be forgotten.
The Queensland born and bred Armitage played 169 games for the Saints and arguably peaked in the 2015 season, in which he averaged 28.4 disposals per game and polled 12 Brownlow votes.
Armitage's strong physical presence also allowed him to average over five clearances and around five tackles per game between the years of 2014 and 2016, before injuries curtailed the end of his career.
While rarely receiving the plaudits outside of the walls of St Kilda, Geary is still an inspirational leader for the Saints during some tough times.
Since taking over the captaincy from Nick Riewoldt in 2017, Geary has proven himself to be one of the most inspirational and courageous leaders in the game.
Unfortunately for Geary, the 2019 season has been a tough one as the ever-reliable defender missed out on much of the year through injury, including a particularly gruesome thigh injury in Round 11.
However in years prior, Geary has held some of the great small forwards of the game below average performances.
Take for example his effort on Eddie Betts in 2016, as while St Kilda was thoroughly beaten to the tune of 88 points, Geary somehow managed to hold Betts to just one goal despite an incredible amount of inside 50's.
Although many neglect the role of Geary, he has established himself as a consistent backman and leader for the Saints across the decade.
Ross capped off his 2019 season by taking out his second Trevor Barker Best and Fairest Award recently.
Ross won his first in 2017, which was a year of promise for the Saints.
Unfortunately, Ross and the club have failed to continue their growth over the last couple of years which puts him further down this list.
Although the lingering taste of disappointment does tend to obscure how good Ross is for the Saints.
Picked at number 25 for the Saints in the 2011 draft, Ross broke out in 2016, averaging 26.4 touches per game along with close to five tackles and just under five inside 50's per game.
Ross also polled 14 Brownlow votes in 2017 while averaging five clearances per game.
A strong inside player, the 26-year-old certainly has a lot to give the club the decade to come.
Like his former teammate on this list, Seb Ross, Steven has had an extremely difficult 2019 season both on the field and off it.
Despite a down year, Saints fans still remember Steven for his consistently exciting performances dating all the way back to 2012.
While Steven has never fully established himself as a top A-grade midfielder, there are very few players in the league who can says they averaged over 20 touches a game for seven straight seasons.
Steven also came close to the mark in 2011, averaging 19.6 disposals in his first full year for the club.
Steven's bustling movement through stoppages has often led to him being the key in the St Kilda midfield, allowing him to break open games with speed.
It was only as recently as 2018, that Steven polled 18 Brownlow votes and put together a 27 touch per game season.
While Steven's best season is up for debate, the 180 centimetre midfielder averaged 27.9 disposals, 5.5 clearances and 5.6 tackles during the 2016 season, taking home the Saints Best and Fairest award to cap it all off.
With these remarkable performances, Steven cements his place in the top St Kilda players of the decade.
Tip Rat!
Stephen Milne's cult hero status at times may make people forget his potency as a player.
Very few small forwards are able to grind out 275-game careers like Milne did.
Too many either lack an eye for goal or don't have the pressure and tackling instincts to press and trap the ball in the front half. And when a club is lucky enough to find a player with both of these traits, often the legs grow old and weary and the frenetic pace of the game overtakes them.
The body of work Milne but together across the later stages of his career with an ailing body is nothing short of remarkable, considering the decline many small forwards are faced with.
Milne kicked a remarkable 197 goals during the 2010s, despite retiring in 2013.
To put Milne's goal sneak ability into perspective, his 57-goal season in 2010 is still the most a St Kilda forward has kicked in a season this decade.
In fact, his three years as leading goalkicker at the club from 2010 until 2012 are still the top three individual goal kicking seasons for the entire decade.
Leading goalkicker this season for the Saints, Tim Membrey, has kicked 28 goals less in his entire career than Milne did across the four seasons he played during the 2010's.
Coupled with his annoying defensive pressure, Milne is undoubtedly one of the game's best small forwards and one of the best Saints players of the decade.
Goddard's placement on this list was probably the most challenging part of compiling these 10 players.
While all fans will agree that Goddard is a rare talent with fantastic foot skills and a knack for performing in the big moments, his departure from the club early in the decade limited his overall body of work that we could assess.
Had he not left for the Bombers after the end of the 2012 season, Goddard would most likely be battling for the number one spot on this list.
Always a good kick coming off halfback for the Saints, Goddard's mark in the 2010 Grand Final will go down as one of the most iconic moments in Australian football history.
It seemed like it was meant to be for the Saints that day, until the infamous Stephen Milne bounce forced a draw and a tragic Grand Final loss to the Magpies a week later.
I'm sorry Saints fans for bringing this up, but the 30 seconds of euphoria Goddard provided you with as he climbed on the shoulders of Heritier Lumumba certainly made BJ Goddard a St Kilda legend for life.
Goddard could've easily won the Norm Smith that day and his last two years with the club weren't too bad either.
Despite not being quite at the level of his stellar 2010 season like many of his teammates, Goddard still averaged over 22 touches a game in 2011 and 2012, while also polling a total of 13 Brownlow votes across both years.
However, Goddard's 2010 campaign separates him for the rest and puts his name into St Kilda folklore for years to come.
Despite leaving for North Melbourne at the end of the 2013 season, Dal Santo managed to put together four elite seasons at the Saints during the 2010s.
Similar to many Saints on this list, Dal Santo's 2010 season was excellent, averaging 25 touches per game while being a key member of the club's finals campaign.
While the club may have not reached the heights of that season again, Dal Santo continued to flourish in the 2011 season and put together what many believe to be his best year of footy.
During 2011, Dal Santo polled 28 Brownlow votes and finished in second place in the Trevor Barker award for club Best and Fairest, while also being rewarded with an All-Australian selection.
He averaged just under 27 touches and 5.1 clearances per game during the year and was recognised for his leadership in the absence of Lenny Hayes.
Dal Santo continued to be a productive player during his final two seasons with St Kilda, averaging close to 24 touches per game across the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Known for his silky skills and poised decision making, Dal Santo is the type of player St Kilda fans are now crying out for.
A two-time All-Australian, like many of his Saints teammates on this list, had arguably his best season in 2010 in which he averaged 28.6 disposals per match along with close to five inside 50's a game.
Montagna was named on the wing in the All-Australian side and while he didn't make another All-Australian team, Montagna continued to have an impressive decade with the Saints.
For the rest of his career, Montagna averaged a minimum of 23.5 touches per game each season, peaking in 2013 with 29.6 disposals each game.
In 2016, Montagna moved into the halfback line for the Saints and brought the club within a whisker of returning to finals for the first time since 2011.
Across his entire career, the hard working Montagna polled 106 Brownlow votes in an impressive career with the Saints.
A loyal 287-game player for St Kilda, Montagna continued to play at a high level during the highs and the lows of the decade at club and retired a fan favourite in 2017.
While the likes of Dal Santo and Goddard may have been slightly better at their peak, Montagna's body of work over eight seasons this decade compared to the shorter stints of Dal Santo and Goddard puts him slightly ahead on this list.
A true warrior for St Kilda in every sense of the word.
Drafted last century, Hayes won St Kilda's Best and Fairest for his 2010 and 2012 seasons while also taking the Norm Smith medal for his performance in the first of the 2010 Grand Finals.
Known for being one of the toughest players of all time, Hayes somehow managed to get 297 games out of his often battered and bruised body until his retirement at the end of 2014.
At the time of his retirement, Hayes held the AFL record for most tackles with 1,496 laid over his career at an average of five per game.
During an incredible 2010 season, Hayes averaged 7.1 tackles per game while racking up just over 27 touches per contest.
Despite an ACL injury knocking Hayes out for much of the following season, the champion bounced back in 2012, polling 19 Brownlow votes across the year.
Hayes finished his career in typically admirable style in 2014, recording an incredible thirteen tackles in his final game.
Always displaying courage and leadership Hayes will likely be remembered as one of St Kilda's favourite sons.
While there were many contenders, it is hard to look past Nick Riewoldt for the top spot on this list.
A 336-game player for the Saints, Riewoldt captained the club through its period of glory at the very beginning of the decade.
While his 2010 season ultimately ended in heartbreak after a famous Heath Shaw smother, Riewoldt's incredible running ability with a 193 centimetre and 92 kilogram frame caused havoc for opposition teams.
One of the most courageous players of all time, Riewoldt consistently represented the club brilliantly during his time as captain and experienced a resurgence in form late in his career.
Despite having consistent knee troubles, Riewoldt put together an outstanding 2014 season for the Saints, returning to the All-Australian side for the first time since 2009 as well as winning the Trevor Barker Award.
While Riewoldt's set shot ability was consistently questioned, the champion forward took out the Saints' goalkicking award twice during the decade in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
The first pick in the 2000 AFL Draft also managed to poll 19 Brownlow votes during his season last season in 2016, despite his ailing body consistently taking a beating.
Riewoldt retired at the end of the 2017 as a champion of the Saints.