A chance at bouncing back from a quieter Season 2021 was cruelly taken away from Nick Coffield following a season-ending knee injury a few weeks out from the season proper.

All indicators had Coffield on track for a prominent sequel to his breakout 2020 campaign. The emerging defender had enlisted a specialised running coach in the off-season to build up his engine, resulting in him being a regular strong performer on the training track heading into 2022.

Coffield first stamped his influence on the side two seasons ago, with his assuredness in the air and by foot complementing his clean style of play as St Kilda’s comparatively inexperienced backline stood up to the task to snap its 10-year finals absence.

His leading campaign ended with a fifth-placed finish at that year’s Trevor Barker Award, along with the Best Emerging Player Award and a place in the AFL Players' Association 22Under22 side.