SUNDAY afternoon saw St Kilda’s 2023 AFLW season come to a bit of a bittersweet end, with a win over Carlton that wasn’t quite big enough to nab them a spot in the finals. One player who did play a bit of an impressive role in the win was veteran Nat Exon.

Not normally one to draw much of the spotlight, especially considering the calibre and big names of some of her team mates, Exon particularly stood up when it counted on Sunday. The run Exon was able to provide up forward for St Kilda on Sunday was particularly impressive.

The Saints have strong running mids like Georgia Patrikios, Jaimee Lambert and Tyanna Smith, but their forwards tend to be taller marking targets. That is where Exon came in and provided a point of difference.

She is a goal sneak, and can work at the feet of the likes of Jesse Wardlaw and Madeleine Boyd, and get out the back of the contests to get goalside. Her performance yesterday ultimately rewarded her with two goals.

Her first goal came early in the second term, where after receiving the handball in space from Olivia Vesely slotted one through from about 35-40m out. Her second goal was a true example of how much of a goal sneak she can really be. Only about 10m out this time, she carefully stayed a metre out of the congested pack and was able to receive the handball from Deanna Jolliffe and run in and score the goal.

Although Exon’s efforts this season have largely gone unnoticed by external voices, Exon has not gone unnoticed by those in charge of the Saints.

Speaking post match on Sunday, St Kilda coach Nick Dal Santo said she had been really good all year.

“She has a really good ability to manage her body,” he said. “She’s getting a little bit older, but her awareness of her body and what works for her and what doesn’t. We left her at home a few weeks ago when we played Fremantle and that was a deliberate plan we had weeks out to say what was best for her and also for the team.

“She came back in a couple of weeks ago, I think she’s been really solid for the whole year. She plays that high half-forward role, comes into the midfield at times. She’s just a footballer. Sees the game really well, she reads the play, she sees the queues and I think she’s impacted as much this year as she has since she’s been in the competition.”