What if St Kilda lose to Gold Coast next week?
If the Saints’ horrendous 19.12 (126) to 7.13 (55) loss to Sydney wasn’t enough to disturb Alan Richardson’s slumber on Saturday night, the thought of losing to the Suns is absolute nightmare material.
As woeful as Gold Coast were in their 108-point thumping at the hands of GWS, St Kilda were just as bad in the first quarter against the marauding Swans.
The 15th-placed Suns sit just above the Saints on the ladder, but a loss for Richardson’s team at Metricon Stadium on Saturday has a doomsday scenario feel to it.
It’s a very real possibility going by the limp first-quarter effort from Richardson’s charges against the Swans at Etihad Stadium and one that would ratchet up the pressure on his position.
The coach delivered an old-fashioned spray to the huddle at quarter-time after his team were embarrassed by Sydney in a nine-goals-to-one blitz.
“Just that it was an unacceptable performance,” Richardson replied when asked what his message was.
“It was unacceptable in terms of the physical commitment required to play AFL footy, full stop, but particularly against a team like Sydney.
“Full credit to them, they were super impressive, but I don’t coach them. My focus was on us and it was unacceptable.
“We just can’t put up with that sort of performance.”
Richardson, who has a contract until the end of the 2020 season, has managed just 34 wins in 100 games as St Kilda coach.
His team, widely tipped to play finals this year, is without a win since round one and suffered their heaviest loss of the season against Sydney.
Richardson will cast his eye over the club’s VFL affiliate game on Sunday, keen for players to push their claims for promotion.
He issued an ominous warning to the 22 players who let the club down on Saturday night.
“The guys who have played … there’s not much they can do about that now,” he said.
“(But) what I want from them, irrespective of selection, is to look at the way that we started the game and to make sure that they learn from it.
“And if they stay in the team that they respond in a way that would suggest they’ve learnt and, probably more significantly, that they care.”