ST KILDA players venturing down the highway for this week’s clash with Geelong at Simmonds Stadium could be excused for relying heavily on road maps and satellite navigation.

It has been nine years since the Saints last played at the Cattery, with Etihad Stadium hosting the bulk of matches between the two clubs.

That match in round 18, 2004 was a much-hyped contest between two of the best teams of the season.

Adding to the hype was the widely-held view that the Cats and the Saints had two of the most exciting young lists in the AFL and seemed destined for years of sustained success.

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St Kilda went into the game sitting in second position on the ladder after a solid start to the season that resulted in winning its first 10 games of the year. The Cats were sitting in fifth spot and was set for its first finals campaign in four years.

Much of the hype surrounding the game centred around the fact that two of the competition’s in-form forwards Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig were set to be matched by two of the best defenders in Tom Harley and Matthew Scarlett.

Gehrig, Harley and Scarlett have since retired but Riewoldt is still going strong as St Kilda’s focal point up forward.

He, along with Jason Blake, Nick Dal Santo, Sam Fisher, Lenny Hayes, Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna are still on the Saints’ list while Jimmy Bartel, Paul Chapman, Joel Corey, Corey Enright, Josh Hunt and Steve Johnson remain for the Cats.

The game, which was played in front of 21,673 people, looked set to be a one-sided affair after the Cats booted six goals in the opening quarter. Not to be outdone, the Saints booted seven goals in the second quarter to have the lead at the main break.

There was barely a kick in it for most of the rest of the day before the Cats eventually ran out to a seven point win.

It was a strong showing from the Saints though, with Gehrig and Riewoldt each booting three goals, as did Leigh Montagna who enjoyed somewhat of a breakout game in what was just his 18^th senior match.

2004 was not the only memorable match the Saints played at the Cattery, with perhaps the most famous encounter coming in 1988, when St Kilda scored an unlikely last-minute victory.

The Saints had endured a difficult year, having lost six of their first seven games on the way to their fifth wooden spoon in six years.

But that May afternoon at Geelong provided a respite from a miserable season with a left-foot snap from Nicky Winmar after a handball from Tony Lockett to secure the win.

Making that win extra special was the fact that the Saints seldom came away from a trip to Geelong with the four points. From 1978 to 2004, St Kilda had only won four of its 25 games at the venue.

In a total of 56 games at Kardinia the Saints have won 13 games. This will be Cats’ third game under lights and the first time a Victorian team has been the visiting side.