St Kilda great Grant Thomas has unloaded on his former club and is calling for one immediate change to kill the club’s soft mentality.
Former Saints coach Grant Thomas has given his club a serious bake over where it sits heading into 2022.
Thomas has accused the club of being “just happy playing AFL” after a season where they slipped down the ladder to finish 10th.
Thomas said on SEN radio Tuesday the club has to make some hard decisions heading into a critical period for the club’s hopes of ending a premiership drought dating back to 1966.
The former Saints player, coach and board member is calling for change at the top of the club and wants president Andrew Bassat to make one specific change to the club’s board of directors.
However, he saved his biggest rocket for the football department.
“There are two types of teams in the competition — one that’s in the premiership business and the others that are just sort of playing AFL,” he added.
“I get the distinct feeling that the Saints are just happy playing AFL.
“Their best is finals, but the gap tells me that there is something wrong somewhere.
“You don’t have wild fluctuations in performances unless there’s something not quite right.
“I’m not close enough to know exactly what that is, whether it’s coaching, leadership or management. Of course you hear all the stories, but there’s stories everywhere so you pay lip service to those.”
Thomas said the club faces a critical period in needing to chase a premiership having made trades and list moves to challenge for a premiership immediately.
Instead they appear nowhere near it.
The club was quiet during the AFL Trade Period earlier this month and missed out on picking up North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri. Their list strategy was accused of being “confused” by Fox Footy reporter Tom Morris, who said the club was caught between re-building and pushing for a premiership.
Thomas said change at the top of the club is the first thing to address.
“I see Melbourne and the Bulldogs have gone past us in recent years and I just think that if they can do it, there’s no reason why we can’t do it,” he said.
“But we’re not going to do it doing what we’re doing. We need to do something significantly different. We really need to enter the premiership business race.
“I can’t see us winning a premiership in the next year or two, and if we don’t win it in the next year or two, that list… well where is it?
“That means we’re another decade away and that doesn’t sit well with me.
“It’s achievable and you can do it, but you’ve got to make hard decisions.
Thomas called on St Kilda to make space to add dental surgeon Larry Benge to the board because of the culture change he hopes it could create
“When you are seemingly quite static or your performances aren’t going in the direction you need them to, I think you need to make some changes,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“If you keep doing what you keep doing, you’re going to get the same result. I know Larry is a passionate person, he has some great qualities, he’s a real pioneer and a brave, daring guy in his industry, he’s got great commercial acumen and he’s a passionate Saints person.
“He provides a point of difference and if he’d like to get on the board, well I’m sure Andrew Bassat, who is a really smart business guy, would entertain that. All I’m suggesting is if he doesn’t, or if that’s blocked, that tells me that the Saints aren’t opening their minds to opportunities and points of difference.”
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