St Kilda need to find some AFL form and they need to find it fast.
That was coach Alan Richardson’s frank assessment after the injury-hit Saints fell to a 15.13 (103) to 7.14 (56) defeat to Geelong at Kardinia Park on Sunday.
St Kilda are 16th with a 1-3 record after four rounds and have lost their past three games by an average margin of 49 points.
Richardson knows that doesn’t cut it for a team with finals aspirations and a fan base growing more impatient by the week.
“We’ve got too many players out of form,” Richardson said.
“We’re at round four and I’m not saying we’ve got plenty of time to turn it around – we need to turn things around quickly.
“And that’s our focus.
“We’re not playing our best footy and we’re not pretending for one minute that we are and that we’re (just) out of luck.
“We need to make sure that we’ve got blokes in a really constructive, aggressive head space.
“There’s enough talent in this group to be playing much better footy than we’re playing at the minute.”
The Saints lost Dylan Roberton in a frightening second quarter incident on Sunday where he collapsed without contact from an opponent.
But Richardson reported the defender was doing well at Geelong’s Epworth Hospital where he is undergoing tests.
“It looks like some sort of irregular heartbeat … (but) from all reports he’s alert and he’s eating,” Richardson said.
“He’s doing well but it’s obviously a bit of a shock. He shocked a few of his mates but he’s doing well, which is positive.
“I’ve never really seen anything like that so my thoughts were immediately with (him).
“But it was really comforting to get some feedback that he’s OK now.”
St Kilda were left with two fit players on the bench in the second half after ruckman Rowan Marshall was ruled out with concussion.
Brad
Guest
St kilda have been there or thereabouts for a few years but have lost alot of experience. To say we were to make the 8 was to say that there was going to be significant improvement. Teans like Essendon, Bulldogs, Melbourne, Hawthorn all have eyes on making the 8 and needed to improve also it was a matter of who made strides first. I think we need to hold judgement on St Kilda until 2020 as then we will have a clearer picture as to where we are
Ryan Geer
Roar Pro
Jack Steven needs guys like Armitage, Dunstan, Billings etc go stand up her cant carry them all on his own. You’re right struggling with leadership since losing Riewoldt, Montagna, Dempster etc. Dunstan was touted as a future leader at the club, high draft pick, captained South Australia in the under 18’s champs a few years ago. Had an amazing rookie season, but is in and out of the side, in the Saints want to grow he needs to play regularly in that midfield.
Mattyb
Guest
Yeah,I think this is the biggest problem. StKilda needed to take bigger strides while the leaders were still there and the fact they didn't has left them in no mans land and certainly bereft of leadership.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Poor ol' Saints! Bereft of decent leadership since the retirement of Roo and to a lesser extent Montagna. Gonna be a long year.