Win or lose, no-one could fault the Saints’ midfield efforts in 2023.
It is a cliche to say that the midfield was the heart of the team, but in terms of the Benalla side, there is no other way of putting it.
The mids were everywhere, leading from the back and the front, and always digging deep.
The Saints’ top midfielders
Disposals: Christopher Welsh - 435
Kicks: Jordan Wolff - 296
Disposal efficiency: Tom Bennett - 74 per cent
Loose-ball gets: Tom Bennett - 46
Intercept possessions: Jordan Wolff - 82
Inside 50s: Christopher Welsh - 78
Clearances: Christopher Welsh - 88
Centre clearances: James Martiniello - 37
One name stood out when it came to moving the ball: Christopher Welsh.
He had 435 disposals for the season, 61 ahead of his nearest teammate, and sixth in the league overall.
While Welsh led the handball tally, Jordan Wolff had the most kicks for the Saints, with 296.
While these disposal numbers are impressive, they mean little if they are not hitting their intended targets.
Welsh finished the season with 63 per cent disposal efficiency; however, the standout in terms of high disposals and high efficiency was Tom Bennett, with 304 disposals at 74 per cent efficiency.
The Benalla midfield made it their trademark to fight no matter the scoreline, and the statistics back this up.
The race for the loose-ball-gets title was a close one, with Tom Bennett piping Christopher Welsh to the post by one with a total of 46.
Wolff ran away with the most intercept possessions, 82 — the next most being 30 fewer possessions, and the one-percenters crown went to the midfielder.
When getting the ball into dangerous areas, Welsh again did the heavy lifting as he tallied 78 inside 50s.
Welsh also dominated the clearance statistics with 88 in total while ever-reliable James Martiniello topped the centre clearance chart with 37.
With these players leading from the middle, the club hopes it radiates out to the whole team as the Saints enter the 2024 season.