DYLAN Roberton has revealed he had second thoughts when he first arrived at St Kilda at the end of the 2012 season.

After playing 37 games for Fremantle, the running defender was unsure if he had made the right move initially, but after signing on until the end 2017 earlier this week, he has no such concerns anymore.

“I remember when I first got here I wondered if I had made the right decision and if I should have stayed over there [in Western Australia],” Roberton to SEN’s Morning Glory.

“Now you can just see the future and the vibe around the place is great. Richo is the perfect man for the job and we love playing for him.”

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If the 74-gamer needed one final motive to re-sign with St Kilda, it came when Jack Steven re-committed until the end of 2020 on the eve of the season.

“Jack is such a massive player and he had a lot of clubs throwing money at him,” he said.

“To see him sign on and see that someone of his calibre knows we are heading in the right direction, gives us confidence to follow.”

Roberton has been one of St Kilda’s most consistent contributors this season after an injury interrupted 2014 in which he managed just seven senior appearances.

The 23-year-old, who is about to welcome his third child, is averaging 19.8 disposals per outing and ranked second at the Saints for rebound 50s.

But rather than revel in his own form, which is the best it has been since he finished 10th in the best and fairest in 2013, Roberton preferred to heap praise on his teammates at the halfway point of the season.

“I think the way we’ve been playing and stayed in games, even when we lose, is good,” he said.

“In the past we lost because of lack of effort, but now the effort is there so we’ve been able to pinpoint exactly why we’ve lost and take a good look at game plan and things like that. It’s really easy to pick apart what’s not going right.”

In particular, it has been the efforts of teenager Jack Lonie that have inspired Roberton and his teammates in the early parts of 2015.

Lonie was drafted with pick 41 in last November’s National Draft, and despite his lack of height, the forward-pocket has excelled in his first 10 games of league football.

Roberton said the fact Lonie was taken with the first pick of the third round is a credit to St Kilda’s recruiting and list management staff, led by Tony Elshaug and Ameet Bains.

“You look at some players who get drafted and they are really athletic and can run and jump, but it may take them longer to pick up the game,” he said.

“But then you look at someone like Jack Lonie, who is probably the smallest player in the AFL but he’s just so smart around the ball and knows where to run.”

“All the younger boys are just really footy smart – they are great learners.”

On Sunday Roberton will turn 24. His birthday and the birth of his third child perfectly coincide with St Kilda’s bye week. For Roberton, timing is everything. 

Roberton and Lonie tackle Hawthorn's Jack Gunston.