Footy great David King branded St Kilda’s game plan “fraudulent”, called out “selfish players” and labelled the Saints “sub-AFL standard” as the club slumped to a 28-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.
Enormous hype surrounded St Kilda amid its five-game winning streak early in the season, but Brett Ratten’s men remain outside the top eight after a 13.6 (84) to 7.14 (56) loss to the Bulldogs at Docklands Stadium.
It makes for grim reading for St Kilda fans as the Saints chase their first premiership since 1966.
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“I get sick of talking about this,” King said on Fox Footy’s half-time coverage.
“Structurally they allow things to roll on. It’s a fraudulent game plan.
“I’ve said this for 18 months: when it works, it works big, and it works big for the same selfish players that want to get forward of the ball. They don’t want to be front and square in the hotspot, to be the first layer of pressure if you don’t win possession; they want to be the guy who’s in the goal square first.
“I don’t know what they reward at St Kilda, but it ain’t pressure.”
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The Saints sat fourth on the ladder at the bye but have lost five of their last six matches to drop to 10th.
In a woeful early showing, St Kilda didn’t kick its first goal until mid-way through the second quarter.
By that point the Bulldogs had seven on the board and the match was virtually over.
St Kilda icon Leigh Montagna said it was the Saints’ worst showing of the year.
“They have not fired a shot. They are not competing to the level St Kilda need to for them to win games of footy,” Montagna said.
“The pressure was the No.1 thing they’d focused on the most to try and get their game on track, but it’s deserted them.
“Whether their poor attitude has led to their poor method … they are devoid of confidence. It’s fallen apart for St Kilda.”
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