until that time. Although he didn't kick another goal for the game, he did gain 28 disposals in a best on field performance. Goddard averaged 27.2 possessions per game in 24 matches in 2009 and was selected in the 2009 All-Australian Team and finished as the runner-up for the Trevor Barker Award. St Kilda finished first on the ladder after the home and away season and won their third minor premiership. They qualified for the 2009 AFL Grand Final, where they were defeated by the Geelong Cats by 12 points. He averaged a career-high 28.7 possessions in 25 games (including four finals matches). He was voted in the All-Australian Team, finished third in the Trevor Barker Award and received 14 votes in the 2010 Brownlow Medal going into the night as the favourite to win. In the drawn 2010 AFL Grand Final, Goddard finished second in the voting for the Norm Smith Medal, with seven votes and his teammate Lenny Hayes won it with 13 votes. He is also remembered for taking a memorable high mark in the last quarter, and kicking a goal which put the Saints in front (before Collingwood came back to draw the game and defeat the Saints in the replay a week later). At the conclusion of the season, he signed on until the end of the 2012 season. On 1 October 2012, Goddard signed with Essendon and became the first big name to use the AFL's new free-agency period which debuted in 2012. Goddard had refused to sign a new three-year deal all season and instead opted to sign with the Bombers, who offered him higher pay and a four-year contract. Goddard was formally offered the deal by Essendon at 11am on 1 October, with St Kilda allowed 72-hours in which to make a counter offer. However, the Saints decided by the end of the day that they were not willing to match the offer, therefore allowing Goddard to join the Bombers. In making a formal statement of the decision, St Kilda head of football, Chris Pelchen, stipulated that the club had made a significant offer to Goddard "that was relative to both his position and other players within the team. While we are disappointed at his decision to leave the Saints, we are absolutely committed to our ‘team first’ philosophy in relation to player contracts." St Kilda's senior coach, Scott Watters, further elaborated