Coaching great Mick Malthouse challenges St Kilda to show the football world what it stands for

IT’S been 52 years since St Kilda’s one and only premiership. Why can’t this club have success? MICK MALTHOUSE grills the culture, administration, coaching and recruitment of the AFL’s biggest underachievers.

ST KILDA, St Kilda, St Kilda — where do you begin?

Sunday is a crunch game for both the Saints and the Demons if they want any hope of competing for a finals berth this season, but that possibility looks so slim on St Kilda’s current form.

I played my first VFL game for St Kilda in 1972 and I was at the club for four and a half years, so I mean it when I say I have a soft spot for the Sainters.

But I can only imagine how incredibly frustrating it is for supporters still waiting for a second premiership.

LOOKING AHEAD: MICK PREDICTS THE TOP 8

MICK’S CALL: WHY THE PIES CAN PLAY FINALS IN 2018

BIG GAMES: MICK ON WHY STEELE IS A REAL STAR

The biggest issue I see facing St Kilda is that it has no clear identity.

What does it stand for?

How does it want to play football? These questions need to be asked and answered.

The modus operandi, or style and brand of play if you like, is very evident with some coaches.

Alan Richardson has a big job ahead of him at the Saints. Picture: AAP Images

Damien Hardwick’s Richmond is physically tough and runs hard all day. The type of football the Tigers set out to play is clear for everyone to see, every week.

Nathan Buckley has Collingwood playing as a defensive machine again, and this year the Magpies look like the real deal.

Brad Scott doesn’t have the personnel of Richmond and Collingwood, but his game plan with the Kangaroos is very distinguishable — good run and get the ball to the tall forwards.

Brendon Bolton tried to make Carlton a defensive animal early, but this year he’s tried to make it an offensive animal.

It hasn’t worked, hence the Blues are 0-6, but at least he is trying to establish a game pattern.

Even Chris Fagan’s Brisbane Lions, also 0-6, have a distinctive game structure based around young key forward, Eric Hipwood, and good ball supply.

St Kilda is all over the place.

In Alan Richardson’s defence, however, he has had to deal with the loss of a pivotal personality at the club in Nick Riewoldt.

The Saints’ style used to be Riewoldt. All Riewoldt.

He played how he wanted to play — up forward, in the middle, or helping the backs, and his impact determined the team’s response.

Riewoldt won six best and fairests and was such a dominant figure and strong captain that without him, Richardson almost has to start all over again.

First he needs to establish a new hierarchy.

Captain Jarryn Geary is a hardnosed, one-on-one courageous defender who puts his body on the line for his club.

But a skipper in the backline can’t always effectively communicate with the midfielders and the forwards during a game.

How do you muster the troops up field from his position? It has left the Saints playing like a rudderless ship.

Geary needs strong, active deputies across the field to help give directions and call teammates into line.

And it’s up to the coach to establish the style and brand he wants his leaders to develop on field.

Players will emulate their coach’s stance, over time.

With the departure of Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna, St Kilda lost so much experience and it needed other players to stand up. They haven’t.

Josh Bruce is injured. Paddy McCartin is inexperienced and Tim Membrey is just a third tall, but without Bruce, now attracts the second-best defender.

There is not nearly enough scoreboard pressure.

Of the medium-sized players, Jack Billings, Jack Lonie and Jade Gresham haven’t delivered in the role that’s expected of them — high all-round pressure and goal scoring.

Jack Billings has had an up and down year for the Saints. Picture: Getty Images

All the grunt work is falling on Jack Steven’s shoulders, but at some stage it will become too much for him.

Jake Carlisle and Nathan Brown have strengthened the backline and provided much needed height, but Carlisle would be just as useful playing forward. If not more so.

The Saints haven’t been in the finals since 2011 so they should have been stocking up on A-graders through the draft.

They do have some wonderful players, but what has happened to the likes of last year’s best and fairest Seb Ross?

The player who has gone head-to-head with Patrick Dangerfield and beaten him.

Sadly his work rate has dropped away to the point that he is showing a distinct lack of spread, and his option taking is below standard. He is not hitting the scoreboard at all.

In fact the Saints’ goal-kicking in general has been deplorable.

I know Ben Dixon (St Kilda’s goal-kicking coach) and I would have full faith in his methodologies and style, but it is hard to replicate good kicking under pressure.

Do they even practice under pressure?

Whether it be lack of confidence, or lack of leadership, so far this season the Saints have a terrible habit of falling away after half time.

St Kilda players continue to miss chances in front of goal. Picture: Getty Images

North Melbourne scored 11 goals to three in the second half of its Round 2 win against St Kilda; Adelaide 10 goals to four; Geelong seven goals to four and last week Hawthorn nine goals to four after the main break.

In between the Saints got angry with themselves because of the criticism they were receiving and decided to have a genuine crack against the Giants in Round 5 and drew the game.

There’s more to a season though than feeling humiliated and getting angry and trying to bounce back, because those emotions don’t last.

There’s no doubt that all underperforming sides lose confidence in all mannerisms — defending, attacking the ball and goal kicking. It’s very hard to play good football when all around you is negative.

But effort and a solid structure can do wonders.

Then again maybe, just maybe, we have overrated St Kilda.

I have been reasonably bullish that it would finish in the group from seventh to 11th.

It is good enough on a good day to make the eight. But it needs consistently good days, which it just hasn’t produced.

Richardson is in his fifth year at the club. So far he’s claimed four, six and a half, 12 and 11 wins in his completed seasons.

Pressure continues to build on Alan Richardson. Picture: AAP Images

Usually 12 wins will get you into the final eight. The Saints are a long way off that right now.

There are benchmarks.

Hardwick posted six, eight and a half, 10.5, 15 and 12 wins in his first five years in charge of the Tigers. Richmond won the cup in his eighth season.

Buckley had 17 wins, 14, 11, 10 and 9 in his first five years. Brad Scott returned 11, 10, 14, 10 and 16 wins at North.

All of these coaches were rewarded with contract extensions.

St Kilda has always had a way of making you believe that this could be the year it really turns it on.

BAD RUN: DONS MUST END 14 ENDS OF MEDIOCRITY

TOUGH CALL: BOMBER WRONG CHOICE AS COACH

MILESTONE: ROHAN’S JOURNEY OF PAIN TO 100 GAMES

Perhaps because of this, like a number of big sporting clubs around the world, they are the second team for a lot of supporters.

But whether it’s the culture of the club; poor administration; poor coaching; or poor recruitment, things never really seem to change.

It’s been 52 years since its one and only premiership.

We can’t blame Richardson or the current administration for the previous history of the club, but things will continue along the same path until big things change.

Change can start on Sunday.