ST KILDA took a step backwards in its development after getting "smashed" by West Coast at Domain Stadium, according to coach Alan Richardson.

The Saints gave up the first nine goals of the match and were belted by 103 points.

They kicked just three goals for the match, the lowest total at Domain Stadium in the club's history.

Richardson said he was bitterly disappointed in the performance and said it felt like a step backwards after a lot of hard work so far this season.

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"Today it does, today was really disappointing," Richardson said.

"I didn't see it coming. Our recent weeks have been reasonably positive. We certainly haven't won the amount of games we would have liked to have won.

"But on the whole we think our footy's been heading in the right direction. We think the improvement of younger players like Luke Dunston, Seb Ross, Jack Newnes, Maverick Weller, Shane Savage, Tom Hickey etc, (they've) been heading in the right way. But today was disappointing."

He said Hickey had played one of his poorest games for the club against Nic Naitanui, but he was pleased with the efforts of Ross and Jade Gresham.

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Richardson believed the absence of veteran defender Sam Fisher down back made no difference to the way ball was coming out of the middle.

He said there was some pretty clear lessons to be learnt from the loss to West Coast.

"If we don't come with the physicality and intensity like we did the previous two games against the Demons and the Kangaroos, then we can be a pretty ordinary footy team," Richardson said.

"We can't just pretend that this is just an aberration. This was real. We need to learn from it."

Richardson said he was hopeful Fisher would return next week to face Essendon after missing the Eagles clash with soreness. He said his side must respond well after such a poor performance.