ST KILDA’S opening round match against Gold Coast will be a home coming of sorts for many of its senior players.

The Saints have four players on their list with Queensland backgrounds, all in line for selection this weekend.

Captain Nick Riewoldt, midfielder David Armitage and utility Sam Gilbert are all established senior players, while ruckman Tom Hickey could be a chance to play his first game for his new club against the team he called home for the past two seasons.

Riewoldt and Gilbert both played their junior football at Gold Coast powerhouse Southport before they were drafted to the Saints in 2000 and 2005 respectively.

Armitage was originally from Mackay in Northern Queensland before moving to Brisbane club Morningside to further his career. The move to a more prominent football area paid off for Armitage when he was selected at pick nine in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.

Hickey also played junior football at Morningside before he was drafted by the Suns as a local talent access selection in 2010.

After two years and 12 games with the Suns, Hickey crossed to the Saints at the end of 2012. He played all but one of the Saints’ NAB Cup games and has pushed for selection in the senior team.

The Saints’ connection to the Sunshine state doesn’t end there with specialist defensive coach Max Hudghton originally coming to the Saints via West Brisbane at the 1996 National Draft.

On the other side of the ledger, former St Kilda assistant coach Andy Lovell now sits in the Suns’s coaches box. Lovell was an assistant at the Saints throughout the Grand Final years of 2009 and 2010.