It proved a tough final outing for the Saints, too, hitting the road to take on finals-bound Shepparton Swans at Princess Park and suffering a 7.6 (48) to 18.20 (128) defeat in the process.
While the final score makes for grim reading, much of the deficit can be contained to the opening term, with the Saints left shell-shocked by a remarkable Swans blitz to start the first quarter.
In remarkable scenes, the home side burst out of the blocks to boot the opening four goals of the contest in quick succession, leaving a shocked Benalla side scrambling to find answers as the onslaught continued.
But the Saints were left powerless as the Swans piled on goal after goal, with the first eight going the way of the Shepparton-based side, the scoreboard at one stage reading 50-1, as Benalla struggled to find a footing in the contest.
It was young gun Rory Sammon that finally made the breakthrough for the Saints, ensuring they entered the quarter-time huddle with a goal to their name at least, though the 1.1 (7) to 8.2 (50) deficit cast a heavy shadow.
The Saints were much more competitive after quarter-time, despite giving up the first three goals of the second term, as they managed to slow the Swans’ rate of scoring, sneaking a major just before half-time to head into the rooms 58 points in arrears.
It was a promising second half, too, as Mitchell Vasterink and Colby Mathieson traded goals with the Swans to open the third term in an evenly matched quarter, and though the Swans managed to boot two of the final three goals to once again extend the lead, the Saints showed plenty of fight to get themselves back into the contest despite the scoreboard.
It was a similar story in the final term, too, as the Saints went goal for goal to start the contest before the Swans snuck an extra one late to win the term, with Benalla eventually succumbing to the 80-point defeat.
Mark Marriott was named the Saints’ best in the loss, taking his tally of appearances in the most influential to 14 from 18 games as he chases yet another club best-and-fairest, while Tyler McGregor and skipper Chris Welsh weren’t far behind.
Kevin Maroney and Michael Mummery — both having recently committed to the club for 2027 — rounded out the best in a fine end to their first seasons at the club, having been among the better performers for Benalla throughout the year.
Wrapping up the year with a 4-14 record, the Saints showed plenty of growth upon their 2025 campaign in their first season under new coach Nick Pearson, improving their percentage and conceding over 200 fewer points, while also getting plenty of games into the younger members of the senior side, and showing genuine competitiveness against some of the best teams in the competition.
Already having announced a raft of re-signings ahead of the 2027 campaign, the Saints look set to take a further leap next season as they continue to make forward progress.
