Underperforming St Kilda midfielder KICKED OUT by furious coach after ‘worst performance of the season’ as Brett Ratten warns they won’t ‘wear’ duds anymore
The Saints were destroyed in the first half against the Western Bulldogs
That was despite everything to play for and a final spot on the line
Coach Brett Ratten has singled out a player as an example of lack of commitment
He has warned that there will be no more players who don’t bet
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St Kilda coach Brett Ratten has taken the rare step of publicly picking an underperforming player after his humiliating loss to the Western Bulldogs on Friday.
The coach, who recently re-signed for another two seasons, was furious after his side – with a spot in the AFL top eight to play for on the line – completely capitulated Friday night.
The 28-point win over the Bulldogs was flattering in the end, after St Kilda was completely mauled in the first half.
St Kilda’s Jack Steel (left) made a captaincy attempt against the Bulldogs, while teammate Zak Jones (right) was well below his best
The Bulldogs scored five unanswered goals in the first quarter, the Saints failed to make it in the main break and St Kilda had made just 13 tackles – well below their season average of 55.
Ratten said the Saints “carried” players who didn’t lift in areas of effort and named Zak Jones one of the violators.
Jones finished the game with 18 disposals, five points and two evictions for a reasonable stat line, but he was nearly invisible in the first half of the win as the Bulldogs took the game from the Saints.
Rats is desperate for answers
“It’s something we have to do well. [captain] Jack Steele [26 disposals, 14 contested] did a great job getting back into the game and he’s an A-class player but he needs more support,” Ratten said.
“I think Jones had four or five possession in half a game in the first half. You can’t run around in midfield and only have a handful of touches.
“So we need everyone who contributes, and we got that in the first half of the year.
“Right now we are carrying too many people who are simply not performing at the level we are looking for or assisting their teammates when needed.”
Former North Melbourne premiership winner and Fox Footy pundit David King criticized the Saints’ intensity, especially on defense, after the shelling.
“I don’t know what they reward in St Kilda, but it’s not pressure,” he said.
“They don’t value defense. From the Saints, this is sub-AFL standard.
St Kilda is now 10th on the ladder with a lower percentage than the top eight
Fox Footy pundit and former Saint Leigh Montagna called it ‘St Kilda’s worst half-time performance of the year yet’.
“They didn’t fire a shot. They are not competing at the level St Kilda needs to win football matches,” he added.
“The pressure was the main thing they focused the most on trying to get their game on track, but it let them down.
“Whether their bad attitude has led to their bad method… They are devoid of confidence. It has fallen apart for St Kilda.