Luke Dunstan's AFL omission is a reminder to the emerging players at St Kilda that their time is now.
Dunstan finished last season strongly and played in their two pre-season games.
But he was not even named among their emergencies for Saturday's season opener against Brisbane at Etihad Stadium.
At 23, with four seasons and 69 games of senior experience, the midfielder is exactly the sort of player who the Saints need to start blossoming.
It is a big season for the Saints, who have not made the finals since 2011 and are starting life without Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna.
This week, they also moved into their redeveloped Moorabbin home.
"It's a reflection of our depth, particularly through the midfield," said coach Alan Richardson.
"We expect him to go back (in the VFL) and perform well and put pressure on really soon.
"The reality is if anyone came out for him, it would have been a 23-year-old with 70 games - that's where we're at."
Richardson nominated Blake Acres or Jack Steele as the sort of player who would drop out if Dunstan was picked.
"We're a young group, but ... they're moving into that 'games played, years at the footy club', where they should have a greater impact on the game and that's really exciting for us," their coach said.
"We think our group is heading the right way really quickly."
While it is tough to gain a read on the Saints, Richardson says he does not care about outside perception and is bullish about their prospects.
He confirmed Jack Steven had recovered from his ankle injury in the pre-season and would play against the Lions.
The Saints' two pre-season games were marked by slow starts and Richardson said that would be a focus against Brisbane.
"As a coach, it's been pretty good to get a bit pointy on that part in particular and other parts that haven't worked (in the pre-season)," he said.
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