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Ex-coach Noble involved in St Kilda review

Melissa WoodsAAP
Ex-Kangaroos coach David Noble will try to help St Kilda establish why they missed finals football. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
Camera IconEx-Kangaroos coach David Noble will try to help St Kilda establish why they missed finals football. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Coach Brett Ratten has welcomed the review into St Kilda, with ex-North Melbourne coach David Noble roped in to help determine why they faded so badly to miss AFL finals football.

Club president Andrew Bassat is leading an extensive review, while there will also be an external assessment of the club's list.

Noble was sacked by North Melbourne after round 17 this year but remains highly-regarded having spent time with Brisbane, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.

Ratten, who signed a two-year contract extension in July, said he wanted to get to the bottom of his team's season demise.

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St Kilda started with eight wins from their first 11 matches, but their form plummeted after the mid-season bye, only adding a further three victories.

"The review is something that we're all open to; review all parts of our program and have a look at our list and making sure that the process is better than what it was this year in certain areas because at the end of the day we're trying to improve," Ratten said on Thursday.

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"We look back now and we have let ourselves down and we want to play finals, that's the space we want to get back to."

Ratten wasn't overly familiar with Noble but thought he was "ideal" to be part of the investigation.

"With his experience in three parts of a footy program - the GM of footy, senior coach and list mismanagement - is an ideal person to come in and have a look at what we're doing here," he said.

"If we can just take some small percentages off certain areas of the program, and change our process slightly in certain things, I think it will help our footy club.

"I'm excited about it and think whatever comes of it will help us."

Sitting 10th heading into the final round, St Kilda are looking to finish the season on a high with a win at Marvel Stadium on Sunday over second-placed Sydney.

They will farewell injury-plagued midfielder Dan Hannebery, who on Thursday announced his retirement.

"The way we go about it, it will be really important to finish the year on a strong note," Ratten said.

"This will challenge our players and everybody to make sure that the professional standards are at a high level.

"There's nothing worse than leaving a season where you didn't play well or you didn't perform to the level that you want, that's win, lose or draw, and we're really striving to make sure we finish strong."

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