So far, so good for Saints coach Alan Richardson.

St Kilda fans have seen it all – the best of times, the worst of times, and the bloodiest of times. Which gives their colours of white, black and red a significance far beyond that of simple decoration.

Those same hues were hugely popular among artists during the Middle Ages, especially in works with a religious meaning.

Paintings such as Tomasino da Vimercate's The Beheading of John the Baptist and countless other depictions of Christian martyrs all abide the same guidelines: white stands for good, black evokes evil, and red is the bloody violence of the time.

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Like their clash jumper, the Saints of 2015 are more white than black, with coach Alan Richardson doing a mighty job in selling hope to the faithful.

There will, no doubt, be more pain yet let's pray for footy's sake they hold their nerve and don't lose their heads.