THE Saints of 2008 look a lot like the Cats of 2007, says the one man who should know.
New St Kilda recruit Steven King yesterday described the Saints playing group training in Ballarat as part of the AFL Community Camps as "pretty similar" to the Geelong team that started the journey to the AFL premiership
flag this time last year.
King and his St Kilda team mates had a light training session at AUSTAR Arena yesterday along with a selected group of North Ballarat Rebels players.
The giant 202cm ruckman said, with luck, the Saints could enjoy a similar march to glory.
"It's a pretty similar feel really," King said.
"As an outsider looking in at the Saints when I was at Geelong, the team had a similar list to ours.
"Now the club has improved its resources and coaching staff, I think we are in a similar position to last year with the Cats."
After being part of Geelong's drought-breaking premiership win in September, King secured a trade to St Kilda to improve his opportunities in the ruck.
The former Cats captain struggled at times to break back into a Geelong team last season that boasted two other ruckmen in Brad Ottens and Mark Blake.
King did not expect, however, to waltz straight into the St Kilda line-up.
"I have come to a new club and I have to earn some respect," the 29-year-old said.
"I haven't had any thoughts about being first ruck.
"I've been working pretty hard to get a game first up, and I'm looking forward to the first intra-club match coming up next week.
"I've enjoyed my time at the Saints so far but you don't get that bond with other players until you play a match with them."
Training yesterday at AUSTAR Arena was limited to light ball work followed by a lengthy autograph signing session with a large number of fans.
Prior to that the Saints split up to attend clinics at 12 schools in the region, with Nick Riewoldt going to Delacombe Primary School, Fraser Gehrig, Lenny Hayes and Brendan Goddard heading to Buninyong, and Robert Harvey
taking a group at Forest St. King was part of a group that went to Springbank.
King said the Saints had a "monster" four-hour skill and weights training session at its Moorabbin home on Monday before the players came up to Ballarat.
Rebels player Jordan Roughead was delighted, however, for the opportunity to train with the Saints.
"They certainly move the ball hard and fast. Even when they handball the impact on your hands is so much greater than even at TAC Cup level," the 17-year-old former Lake Wendouree player said.
Roughead, who is a cousin of Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead, is one of a number of Rebels who will be hoping to be drafted by an AFL club at the end of the year.