Two weeks after taking the NAB Cup back to Moorabbin, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was pleased his team could also 'win ugly' after holding on for a nail-biting victory over Sydney on Saturday night.

In a scrappy affair in which both teams made plenty of mistakes, Lyon said he was unsure 'if the glass is half full or half empty' after the Saints blew a 20-point break at quarter-time.

St Kilda failed to kick a goal in the second and fourth terms as Sydney fought back to within three points.

Young Swan Jarred Moore had an opportunity to win the game off his own boot in the dying seconds but his kick went through for a behind.

"Even though we won ugly ... we're confident our form will come if we keep persisting like this," Lyon said.

"The fans would have liked the contest, but the ball use was really quite poor."

"If I've got my smiley face on, I will take the first quarter, if I've got my grumpy hat on, I will focus on the last, the second and the third."

"At the minute, we're not sure if the glass is half full or half empty, but there's a lot to like about our summer and a Round 1 win, really."

His Sydney counterpart Paul Roos said the game wasn't pretty to watch but was pleased with the efforts of his side to get back into the contest.

"There are a lot of positives," he said. "We're reasonably pleased in the end - as pleased as you can be in losing a game of footy. It is only Round 1 and we have a lot of improvement to get to where we want to get to."

Roos, who coached from the boundary line, said either he or assistant coach John Longmire would continue to do so throughout the season.

"Particularly if it's close at the end, it's a lot easier to work your match-ups and see who looks fresh and who doesn't," he said.

"You probably feel a little bit more in control of the game."