St Kilda ruckman Steven King believes the Saints have a major advantage when it comes to finals experience compared to Hawthorn, ahead of Saturday night's second preliminary final at the MCG.
The Saints might be going into the game as underdogs against the team that has been the league's second best performed side all season but while the Hawks are appearing in their first preliminary final in eight years - the Saints are appearing in their third preliminary final in the past five years.
And in King and former Sydney goalsneak Adam Schneider, the Saints have two players in their ranks that have tasted recent premiership success with King a member of Geelong's 2007 premiership side while Schneider was a member of the Swans' 2005 premiership side.
The Saints' team that beat Collingwood in last week's semi-final also contained 11 players that were part of the club's last preliminary final team in 2005 while in Robert Harvey and Max Hudghton, the Saints have two survivors from their last grand final side in 1997.
In contrast Hawthorn has just two survivors from its last preliminary final appearance in 2001 - Shane Crawford and Trent Croad - but Brent Guerra has played in preliminary finals for both Port Adelaide and St Kilda while another former Port player in Stuart Dew is the only player on the Hawks' list to have played in a Grand Final.
King, a 29-year-old veteran of 214 games, knows more than most that the pressure increases dramatically once it comes to the penultimate week of the season and he is confident the Saints' extra experience at this time of the year will prove beneficial on Saturday night.
"I think it's pretty calming knowing we have got a fair few guys that have played footy under immense pressure," he said on Thursday.
"We have got a lot of experience amongst the boys that have played finals footy that know how to guide the other players about playing their role for the team and for each other."
A win on Saturday night will give King the rare opportunity of playing in an AFL Grand Final for two different clubs in successive years - after being traded by the Cats at the end of last year after his shock recall, at the expense of Mark Blake, for the 2007 Grand Final win against Port Adelaide.
This time last year King was preparing to play in a VFL grand final for the Cats - a game in which he starred, which ultimately led to him being part of the AFL premiership win.
King admits it now feels like a long time ago and he is grateful to the Saints for giving him another chance this season.
"To be given an opportunity to continue my career was something I was really grateful for and then having said that I wanted to repay the faith shown in me and just contribute each week and try and be competitive in each contest and each game."
King has certainly done that this season - exceeding all expectations by playing 21 games and establishing himself as the Saints' number one ruckman.
"It's been an up and down year at some stages but to have played 20 odd games for the year and to still be alive at this time of year and now playing in a prelim final is a pretty good result," he said.