THAT was Alan Richardson after Monday night's loss to Carlton. How he elects to rectify this issue is probably the biggest selection dilemma this week.
No injured players are due to return in round nine, while no Saints suffered any significant injuries against the Blues. With this in mind, Richardson's selection discussion will most likely revolve around form, team balance and the best way to kick a winning score against the Suns.
Rhys Stanley had his first down game of the year on Monday night, finishing with just six touches and one behind.
Prior to this, the 23-year-old had enjoyed an excellent first seven games - relishing his new role as a second ruckman and marking forward.
Similarly, Arryn Siposs was quiet but still maanged three scoring shots in the 32-point loss.
"We thought Sippo was OK and he will improve," Richardson said post-game.
Similarly, Arryn Siposs was quiet but still maanged three scoring shots in the 32-point loss.
"We thought Sippo was OK and he will improve," Richardson said post-game.
While Tom Lee or Beau Maister are the logical key forwards who are next in line, neither player has banged the door down in recent weeks.
Adding to the conundrum is Trent Dennis-Lane's ankle injury which is expected to keep him sidelined for up to a month following an incident early in the final term on Saturday.
RELATED: Round 9 injury news
The other two realistic options are Terry Milera and Sam Dunell.
Milera is a clever crumbing player who has 25 games of AFL experience. Though he hasn't played for the Saints this year, he managed 10 matches in 2013 and was named as an emergency last week.
Such are the quirks of the respective fixtures, where the VFL team plays on Saturday and the AFL team on Monday, two players were held over and ended up not playing at all and Milera was one of these (Josh Saunders was the other one).
If selected, Milera will add cleverness and craftiness to the forward line, but whether he has the potential to significantly hit the scoreboard is a question that is yet to be conclusively answered.
The last time Milera booted three goals in an AFL game was against the Suns, in round one last season.
Richardson and his coaching staff may consider injecting Dunell into the seniors following a consistent string of impressive performances for Sandringham.
The former rookie, who has played nine games since debuting in 2012, is neither a small option or a key forward, but does possess strong hands and a terrific work-rate.
"Sammy was our best player [on the weekend], there is no question about that," VFL assistant and St Kilda development coach Paul Hudson told SAINTS.com.au this week.
RELATED: VFL player breakdown
"His leading was also really good. Sam has been up and about for about three weeks and is really pressing his case. He’s playing as a sort of link man, dropping into holes and leading up from half forward.
"His marking, his work rate and his jumping was of the highest quality."
After having a rest last week, Josh Saunders may also come into contention to return to the senior line-up.
The second-year player averages 14 disposals per game this year, but his real value rests with his ferocious defensive endeavour - having laid five or more tackles in five of his seven games in 2014.
And after all this, Richardson may simply choose to keep the same team.
