THE chance to develop St Kilda’s younger players has been a big motivating factor for Nick Riewoldt throughout 2013.

The Saints have won three games this season, falling just short in several close encounters.

Riewoldt said while the results haven’t gone the way he would have hoped, he did get some satisfaction out of developing the next generation of Saints in the same way that senior St Kilda players facilitated his development in the early stages of his own career.

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“There are different motivations. I don’t think we are a three-win team. It is the reality and that is where we sit on the ladder but I am taking a great level of satisfaction personally from being able to play a role with the young guys and aid in the transition of them coming through,” Riewoldt said.

“That is what you need to do as a senior player, you need to find different motivations. Certainly there is a pride aspect in your own performance and there is a responsibility as well. I was a young player once and I had great leadership from guys like Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey, Fraser Gehrig and Stewie Loewe so the wheel turns and now it’s my opportunity to play that role. That is what motivates me.”

Speaking on Fox Footy program On The Couch on Monday night, Riewoldt said the young Saints had shown some signs of what they were capable of.

“We have been really competitive but we have had some really good quarters along the way. A lot of that comes down to experience,” he said.

“We have got a lot of young guys – on the weekend we had 10 players who have played less than 30 games. That is a lot and Geelong has been able to handle that. We haven’t been able to handle it as well but we have slowly seen some improvement from some young players and I think the future is bright for the football club.”

The St Kilda captain acknowledged that the continued development of the club’s younger players meant that some of the club’s older players would have to make way for them.

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But he said long-time teammate Lenny Hayes was one who still had plenty to offer and could go on in 2014 if he wished.

“It’s a really tough one. I certainly hope so, certainly from a selfish point of view,” he said.

“He’s still got a lot to offer in terms of his role within the team as a player but the character of a person like that to have him around the football club is invaluable.”