Saints players lay it all on table
ST KILDA players put themselves through one of their most confronting reviews of the season on Monday when “really honest and truthful” thoughts were laid bare in a bid to end a horror form slump.
A finals-bound 8-3 record before the bye has become 9-8, with five losses in their past six matches by an average margin of 35 points. The Saints have fallen outside the top eight, if only by percentage, following a meek first half in last week’s 28-point loss to the Bulldogs.
The club’s leadership group, including star defender Callum Wilkie, drove the hard chats, which resolved to take “responsibility” for their on-field actions ahead of a must-win clash against West Coast in Perth on Sunday.
“We’ll hope to really galvanise the team and get the boys together,” Wilkie said on Tuesday of the warts-and-all review. “We’re obviously feeling the pinch a bit after the last six weeks and had some hard, honest conversations to each other yesterday.
“It’s been a lot better than it has previously, a lot more honest and hard conversations which have needed to be had and putting more stuff on the table about why it’s happening … how it’s making everyone feel and the flow-on effect of the lack of consistency of effort.
“You actually heard people talking from the heart and not
just hearing and watching the bad efforts or lack of structure. We actually got a bit of care out of it.
“We had people speaking really honest and truthful about the effect it’s having on the whole team. It felt like we got further than we have in previous reviews when you’re not just looking at the bad efforts but delving deep into the why.
“I do, most of the players do, and they do care so much about taking this group forward.”
A potentially season-ending injury to veteran ruckman Paddy Ryder has made the task of making finals that little bit more difficult for the 10thplaced Saints, who need to make a statement in the next fortnight with winnable games against the Eagles and then Hawthorn.
The Saints should get back both Seb Ross and Marcus Windhager, who are out of health and safety protocols, while Hunter Clark is in the frame to return following a sickening facial injury last fortnight.