There are four surviving members from the last St Kilda team to play in Canberra. 20 year-old Jason Blake, emerging ball-winner Lenny Hayes, first-year player Justin Koschitzke and fifth-game player Stephen Milne were establishing themselves in the senior team in round eight, 2001.

Nick Riewoldt was also on the list, but didn’t debut until round 15 of that year – Malcolm Blight’s final match as coach.  

11 years and 11 months after St Kilda last played for premiership points at Manuka, they will meet the AFL’s newest team at the venue this Saturday afternoon. The Giants played three games in Canberra last season, winning one and losing two.

It was a typically sunny but cool Canberra afternoon in mid-May, and former Saint Andrew Thompson recalls the night before more than the match itself.

“We got off the plane on the Friday and Blighty (Malcolm Blight) had us training in the evening at some park round the corner from our hotel. It was no more than 1 degree and absolutely freezing cold,” Thompson told saints.com.au

Trailing Denis Pagan’s team by 21 points at the main break, Blight, in just his eighth game as Saints coach, ripped into the young Saints.

“I remember Blighty not being too happy with us at half time,” Jason Blake recalls.

Playing in his 302^nd match, key forward Stewart Loewe booted seven goals and dominated the forward half. Yet the Kangaroos were too classy, leading at every change to run away 49-point winners.

It was also Nathan Burke’s 300^th AFL game, making him the third Saint to reach the milestone after Barry Breen in 1982 and Loewe a fortnight earlier.

“The ground was in pretty good condition and I remember it was a bit of a sombre mood to carry Burkey off the ground,” Blake says.

“Andrew Thompson carried Burkey off and you can see in the photo from the time, he didn’t look too happy about the loss.”

Thompson, who eight months earlier was awarded with the Saints best and fairest award, specifically remembers the suburban feel of the ground:

“It was unusual. I looked up to the crowd and saw trees behind them. You do the same at the MCG and you just see seats and people … It wasn't really a stadium.”

Slightly fewer than 11,000 fans packed into Manuka Oval, with most following North Melbourne. The Kangaroos played three home games per year in Canberra from 2001-2006, and this year GWS will play the same number of matches at the venue.

“We were all pretty young,” Blake says. “I think Caydn Beetham was playing, Brett Knowles and James Begley. North Melbourne really showed us how to play that game.”

Robert Harvey collected 23 disposals that May afternoon, while current Saints specialist forward coach Aaron Hamill booted three majors from a forward-flank.

Shannon Grant picked up the three Brownlow votes for his 39 disposals, while Brent Harvey collected 32 touches on a forward-flank and registered two Brownlow votes. Matthew ‘Spider’ Burton recorded one vote in his 100^th AFL game.

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32