YOUNG ST Kilda defender Hugh Goddard has been rewarded for a strong finish to the season with a two-year contract extension.

Goddard, 19, has signed on until the end of 2018 after a solid end to his debut year.



The Saints' second pick from last year's NAB AFL Draft, No.21 overall, had to wait until round 16 for his first AFL game.

He came into the side to face Richmond and then held his spot for the rest of the season.



Goddard joins Jack Lonie as having recently re-committed, with the smallforward signing a one-year extension this week that locks him in untilthe end of 2017.



Goddard's contract extension was confirmed by coach Alan Richardson at Monday night's Trevor Barker Award, which was won by midfielder Jack Steven from David Armitage and Sean Dempster.



Although the Saints surprised many in 2015 with their exciting style andplucky attitude, they finished 14th on the ladder and didn't win afterround 17 after six promising victories.



Richardson said the players had to make sure they don't "simply be content with just being better" when they returned for pre-season.



"In 2016 we need to raise the expectations we have of ourselves," Richardson said at the Crown Palladium function.



"We cannot think it's OK to miss finals. We must leave no stone unturned in pursuit of success and prepare accordingly.



"When speaking to the players in our post-season review, it was pretty simple - we need to kick seven more points on average, take away 12 more points on average and we would have finished eighth.



"It's easier said than done, it's a lot of work and we have no illusions about the work we need to do to get into those sorts of spaces and those sorts of numbers."



Meanwhile, CEO Matt Finnis said the Saints had succeeded in re-engaging with their fan base this season, with many telling the club they had "never felt more connected" to it.



He also said their vision to return to their spiritual home of Moorabbin in the next few years remained realistic.



"We're still not 100 per cent there but things are tracking very much in the right direction," Finnis said.



"We're very confident we will return to Moorabbin to a new and elite training and community facility in 2017."