St Kilda coach Ross Lyon put all the focus on the effort of his players after an Easter Sunday smashing

Expectations were growing for St Kilda but an Easter Sunday smashing sent the coach into a spin post-match.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says he’ll have to “have some conversations” with players who would have to own their “non-competitive” performance during Sunday’s crushing 71-point loss to the Western Bulldogs which brought the red-hot Saints back down to earth.

After jumping out to a 17-point lead, the Saints gave up 17 of the next 21 goals as the Bulldogs obliterated them in the final three quarters.

The Dogs destroyed the Saints in forward entries 69-31, which was the Bulldogs’ second biggest differential since the stat has been recorded.

Luke Beveridge’s men also thumped St Kilda for clearances (44-23), centre clearances (20-6), disposals (424-343) and marks (131-85).

“We’ll have to have some conversations,” Lyon said.

: Ross Lyon, Senior Coach of the Saints gives instructions . (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Lyon was also unhappy with the fact that none of his players took it upon themselves to try and quell the influence of red-hot Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli, who registered 20 disposals (seven contested), four clearances (two centre) and two goals in the first half.

“Bontempelli just got off the chain and no one really took responsibility for him,” Lyon said.

“He had 13 (disposals) in the second (quarter) and kicked two goals so I would’ve liked some people to take responsibility in there.”

With four centre clearances himself, Bontempelli was a key reason why the Saints got “annihilated” in that department, according to Lyon.

“Six to 20 (centre) clearances, so that’s a big number, and that hasn’t been us all year,” Lyon said.

“We’ve been very good in there, so it certainly gives you territory.

“It’s a big responsibility in there and they (midfielders) prepare really well ... but today was a big disappointing event that we all need to own.

Jack Steele of the Saints looks dejected (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It felt like we dropped our bundle where they just sieved us out of the front half, so we didn’t play with that intensity.”

But Lyon denied that the lopsided centre clearance count was as a result of being unprepared.

“I wouldn’t think it’s poor planning,” Lyon said.

“We sit top four for centre-square bounce ourselves. I’m happy to own poor planning.

“It’s the ability to adapt and just some tactical shifts ... in the end it was a mauling.

“It certainly doesn’t sit very comfortably.”

Lyon said his team’s skill level left a lot to be desired as their structure unravelled.

“We just lost all of our DNA with our ball use,” Lyon said.

“And they’re not a high uncontested mark team. They had 125 so it just tells you we lost them and couldn’t find them and tonight we lick our wounds.”

The Saints were smashed. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

In his first game back for the year, after completing his recovery from a knee injury, Liam Henry was subbed off at halftime after registering just one disposal from 67 per cent game time.

“It was very, very difficult,” Lyon said of Henry’s first 2025 outing.

“He’s done a nine-month rehab. Did we err in playing him when he hadn’t played the week before (due to the VFL bye)? I just thought it was really challenging.

“It was really simple: we needed midfield grunt and (Zak) Jones ... came on and impacted.

“So we just had to make that decision, and we’ve just got to get him back to his best, Liam.

“He wouldn’t have liked coming off. Did we give him enough time? I don’t know.”

Lyon wouldn’t be drawn on whether Henry would need to return to the VFL this week to ensure he was physically ready for the remainder of the season.

Originally published as St Kilda coach Ross Lyon put all the focus on the effort of his players after an Easter Sunday smashing