Torrential rain at St Kilda’s pre-season fixtures are unfortunately recurring themes after another Saints game was cancelled due to inclement weather on Sunday.

For the third time in five years, rain has severely wreaked havoc for a NAB Challenge game featuring St Kilda. Twice it has caused match cancellations, with one game being delayed and reduced in total game time due to an inundation of rain from above.

In Mackay, the Saints’ second encounter of this year’s NAB Challenge series against Brisbane was supposed to provide a host of senior players with some much needed game time ahead of Round 1, which is quickly approaching.

Instead, due to the effects of a cyclone in the region that caused days of unforgiving rain, the game was cancelled, forcing the Saints to head back to Melbourne without another hit out under their belt.

But whilst Sunday’s deluge caused frustration for all involved, St Kilda is now well versed in the damage monsoonal-like rain can cause. The first instance was in 2012 in Wangaratta when Essendon failed to make the trip to the regional city after electing to charter flights on game day rather than driving up.

Due to persistent wet weather that had lashed the region for days leading into the pre-season clash, the Bombers were unable to land in or near Wangaratta, forcing their two chartered planes to turn around and head back to Melbourne.

With St Kilda still seeking a hit out ahead of the home and away season, the Saints played an internal practice match, albeit with reduced numbers, with one side wearing Murray Bushrangers guernseys.

Wild weather struck once more in 2014, when a ferocious downpour an hour prior to the bounce forced St Kilda’s NAB Challenge clash against the Western Bulldogs at Simonds Stadium to be delayed by half an hour.

In 2014 50mm of rain poured down on Geelong on a wet, miserable Wednesday night. But in miraculous circumstances, the grounds phenomenal draining system and hands-on grounds staff swiftly cleared the water away and a game that moments earlier looked unlikely to go ahead, began only slightly later than originally anticipated.

Call it a jinx, call it a coincidence, call it whatever you like. There’s no hiding from the fact that despite the general public’s mild fascination with torrential rain, St Kilda’s preparation ahead of the premiership season has been affected once again.

Now, the Saints focus will shift to ensuring player workloads are adequately managed as best as possible ahead of the Saints’ Round 1 clash against Port Adelaide on Easter Sunday.