When Nick Riewoldt speaks the rooms falls silent. Alan Richardson gets a bit intimidated as the captain's speeches overshadow even his own words.

For all the process and structure, the planning and methodical teaching that precedes a game, there comes a moment before the game when it is about feeling and emotion. It is the time when Nick speaks and the others gather themselves up full to burst to follow him out on the field.

"There is always a moment in our pre-game meeting where the captain for the day – it's obviously been Nick for a long time - will talk about their trademark and he did a really good job there," Richardson said of Jack Steven.

"I am not out there to hear his messaging the leaders on the field, we will get together on Monday and talk about their performance but he was just honest."

Steven was almost more worried about the pre-game speech than his own game, because especially as captain he had to be more worried about others than himself.

"I was pretty nervous, I am not known for my inspirational speeches like Rooey," Steven said.

"So I kept it pretty short. I had Joey as well backing me up. He gave me a few tips. After half-time Joey said something as well but I tried to keep it as simple as possible for me. That is key for me."

This was a generational change moment too - the new leaders needed to be the ones the talking and acting, not Riewoldt. Not Montagna.

"Jack played in a way that he understood his responsibility to lead really strongly," Richardson said.

"He was getting pretty heavy attention from Ed Curnow who was good for them playing that role and whilst his teammates gave him a bit of a chop out, fundamentally Jack had to do it himself and played really good strong footy."

St Kilda started the game like a side intent on fixing the mess of last week, but uncertain how to do it. They dominated field play but kicked abysmally. They had 20 inside-50s to Carlton's 10 and led by eight points only because of some face-saving late goals.

"We felt if we kept chipping it away, we were happy with the way we were playing, so if we kept at it we would be OK. You have to do that," Steven said.

The game was won in the second quarter even though the third term was when it blew open with six goals to three.

Tom Hickey in the ruck was as dominant as he has been. He had ten clearances for the day after 32 hitouts. Those clearance figures do not include the balls he put into the hands of Steven and Seb Ross.

The difference in the second and third terms was that instead of St Kilda slowly bringing the ball inside-50 now they were breaking fast from the centre and delivering it long and deep to goal.

Tim Membrey started well and got better. He beat star first-year defender Jacob Weitering who alternated during the day on Josh Bruce with Simon White. Membrey finished with five goals.

"He is a ball winner no matter where it goes on the deck or in the air, he wins the ball, He is very clever. He is an excellent kick, he is a really good footy kick in that he is a good field kick, not unlike Riewoldt. It is not just about kicking for goal, he is pretty impressive that way. When he gets the ball we generally score," Richardson said.

Carlton were slow and careful with their ball movement, but not careful enough in their ball use, sloppily turning the ball over and gifting it back to St Kilda.

"We had a patch in the third quarter when they got us in centre bounces," Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said.

"By and large, turnovers, overuse and centre bounces beat us and that's where you need to give St Kilda credit."

He liked the games of Sam Docherty, Kade Simpson and Dale Thomas but felt there were few things as a collective to be excited about other than the fact they did not go in their shells late in the game and in fact outscored St Kilda in the last term.

The Saints must take pleasure in the fact they never felt themselves a poor side and could have only wondered where they might be now but for a couple of narrow losses to Hawthorn and North Melbourne. This win at least redresses some of that ladder pain.

But more persuasively it was done when leaders and senior figures were missing - and after coming off a hiding in Adelaide. It was a moment when new leaders emerged to show the way. It happened when Jack Steven quietly sat among his teammates and succinctly told them how he plays and how he expects them to play.

Steven took his teammates with him.