St Kilda's Struggles: A Comprehensive Analysis
Defensive Decline
Despite a solid defense last year, St Kilda's backline has faltered in 2024. The Saints have conceded more points, dropped in opposition score per inside 50 percentage, and struggled to limit scoring opportunities.
Defensive Metrics:
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |---|---|---| | Points Conceded | 6th | 1st | 7th | | Points Conceded from Turnover | 10th | 4th | 8th | | Oppo Score per Inside 50 % | 12th | 2nd | 7th | | Oppo Back Half to Score % | 14th | 3rd | 5th |
Scoring Woes
St Kilda's offensive output has also been a concern, averaging only 72 points per game. The Saints have struggled to generate scoring opportunities and convert them efficiently.
Offensive Metrics:
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |---|---|---| | Points For | 15th | 15th | 15th | | Points from Turnover | 11th | 11th | 13th | | Points from Clearance | 17th | 17th | 14th | | Points from Forward Half | 18th | 14th | 10th |
Lack of Sizzle
Ross Lyon has lamented the absence of "sizzle" in St Kilda's game style. The Saints have struggled to create scoring opportunities consistently due to poor ball use and ineffective forward line play.
Key Players underperforming
Several key players have seen a drop in their ratings from 2023 to 2024, including Max King, Mattaes Phillipou, and Zak Jones. This decline in performance has contributed to St Kilda's struggles.
Player Ratings Drop Offs:
| Player | Ratings Change | |---|---| | Dougal Howard | -52% | | Mattaes Phillipou | -47% | | Cooper Sharman | -36% | | Max King | -31% | | Mason Wood | -30% | | Zak Jones | -29% |
The Future
Lyon is committed to his four-year contract and plans to build a sustainable team. The Saints need to recruit A-grade talent while maintaining a strong draft hand to improve the future outlook.