Relentless. Uncompromising. Tenacious. Those are some of the adjectives that have been used to describe the St Kilda Football Club over the past two seasons. In 2009 and 2010, the Saints set new on-field standards, applying unyielding defensive pressure and showing a high level of professionalism.
If there was an overall two-year ladder, they would hold top spot with 35 wins, a draw and a percentage of 137.3.
But six rounds into the 2011 season and the Saints are on the verge of failure. They currently sit 13th on the ladder, with one unconvincing win against Brisbane, an ugly draw against Richmond and three losses.
Yes, we’re only six rounds in, but the early signs are terrible.
The Saints are ranked 14th for disposals, 15th for handballs and, most importantly, 15th for total points. Those numbers don’t represent the St Kilda side the AFL community has come to know and love over the past 24 months.
But why?
Why has such a disciplined and professional unit gone from ‘almost premiers’ to ‘bottom-eight losers’ in just seven months? How does that happen so quickly?
There’s little doubt the issue lies between the ears. The players are obviously mentally bruised for some reason. So what’s bugging them?
Is it the off-field curse?
The Saints’ summer was far from ideal. The infamous ‘nude photo’ scandal, the club-imposed suspensions to four players for silly acts in New Zealand and the re-emergence of the Leigh Montagna-Stephen Milne rape case from 2004.
So are those off-field issues starting to show through on-field performance?
Some say yes. North Melbourne skipper Brent Harvey admitted on Channel Seven’s Game Day that indiscriminate off-field occurrences can easily affect players’ mindsets. If players are being bombarded by negative content about their own club, it’s hard to ignore.
Some say no. Every club and player is bound to have off-field issues at different stages. Why should St Kilda’s summer’s distractions be any different? Yes it was all unwanted, but that’s still no excuse.
Maybe the problem should be traced back to Grand Finals.
Utility Jason Gram recently told SEN radio that some players are still thinking about missed opportunities. How could they not? Three Grand Finals and no wins. First a 12-point loss to Geelong in 2009, then a thrilling draw and a pants-down thrashing at the hands of Collingwood in 2010.
Have we underestimated the mental toll those losses have had on the Saints? Are they still struggling to pick themselves up? Are they heavy laden and still carrying a burden?
The Saints could also be physically fatigued as well. Let’s not forget that due to the extra Grand Final, their preparation for this season was completely thrown out of whack.
The obvious counter argument to that is to take a look at the team currently occupying the top spot on the ladder – St Kilda’s 2010 Grand Final opponents. Collingwood was in the same situation as the Saints before the start of the season, the only difference being the Pies are undefeated and in menacing form.
Plus, it’s only Round 6. Surely players aren’t stuffed after six weeks of action?
Many experts predicted Brendon Goddard would win the 2011 Brownlow medal. But after five rounds of footy, he hasn’t looked close to polling a vote. Goddard is way down on his usual output. He seems to have lost that spark and aura that helped him produce one of the best Grand Final performances the game has ever seen last season.
Skipper Nick Riewoldt has started the season poorly, too.
With full forward Justin Koschitzke sidelined due to injury, Riewoldt has been the sole big boy up forward – and he’s struggled. He’s kicked just eight goals from five games, but the uncharacteristic drop chest marks on the lead have been more of a concern.
Is the form of those players to blame?
In recent years, it has been the stars of St Kilda who have carried the club. But now that they are experiencing a form slump, the bottom six to eight players are being exposed for what they really are: average players.
We must also remember St Kilda is without its most influential player in Lenny Hayes. The club hasn’t had too many injuries so far this season, but the ACL injury to its spiritual leader is the equivalent of losing two, possibly three, average players. Hayes is the heart and soul of the midfield and the barometer of the team. He is a massive loss.
The Saints are the second oldest team in the AFL, with an average age of 24 years and 205 days. Are they too old? They’ve had four players make their debut so far this season, should that number increase?
Have opposition teams finally figured out how to beat St Kilda? Is its mystery defensive press now too easy to break?
So many questions.
The only positive for the Saints is they have time on their hands. It’s only Round 6 and there’s still another 18 rounds to go.
We’ll learn a lot about them over the next seven weeks. They play Carlton, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Fremantle in Perth, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs and finally Geelong.
St Kilda’s self-belief will be tested like never before. But great teams find ways to win. Great players fight through adversity and come out the other side much more mature players.
If the Saints want to remain a force, now is the time to get over the mental demons and move on.
No one knows what’s wrong with St Kilda this season. St Kilda probably doesn’t even know.
But whatever the reason, the Saints’ form slump needs to be addressed right now. If it isn’t, a top eight finish seems unrealistic.
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