IN HIS return game from a hip injury, Jesse Hogan failed to impact the game, according to coach Adam Kingsley, as Greater Western Sydney fell to St Kilda on Sunday afternoon.

Hogan finished with 10 disposals and a goal in the eight-point loss.

SAINTS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats

"I don't think he had an impact on the game," Kingsley said of Hogan post-match.

"Which was kind of expected and understandable. He's missed a bit of footy, missed a month. It's hard to then slot straight back in and have an impact, particularly at that size, you're doing to be defended pretty much all the time. So, I don't know if we necessarily helped him a lot with some of our entries. Thought we could have been a little better with him, but he will be better next week."

Kingsley admitted that the coaching panel did consider playing Hogan through the VFL before bringing him back at senior level but decided against it.

"We felt like with his quality, he's one of those guys that's capable of turning it on. He didn't tonight, so I got that wrong," Kingsley said.

Now slumping to six wins and seven losses for the season, the Giants find themselves outside of the top 10 – by 0.1 per cent – and with a tough road home if they are to secure a place in the first ever wild card matches come August.

"I think (the 6-7 result line) paints an accurate picture of our season so far, but I think we're a better team than that. But talk's cheap, isn't it?" Kingsley said.

For St Kilda, it was its star in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera who stepped up in key moments to secure the win.

"I think he wants to be known as a moments guy," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said of Wanganeen-Milera.

"He was getting close attention, and he lifted, so that's important."

Wanganeen-Milera copped some knocks throughout the game, including a fourth quarter hit to the shin, so moved himself deep forward to see out the remainder of the game.

It was an important win for the side, after losing a close one last to Sydney last week in the dying moments, holding on against the Giants was a show of determination and grit. It followed a player-led review of the final minutes in last week's loss.

"We just gave it to the players, the last four minutes, and let them analyse it. The more space you can have between your coaching group and the ground, the better, right? So, that's how they need to grow, and I didn't ask them. We had some thoughts in our heads, so no, we just handed (it) over to the group, and they went and did it," Lyon said.

Two strong performances in the last two weeks have also been helped along by the return of forward Liam Ryan, who has kicked career-high goals in each game – five last week, six on Sunday.

"He loves how he's been coached, we're getting the best out of him," Lyon said with a laugh.

"We know he's a really capable player; he's worked hard to get his body right, we can't fault him on and off the field with Evana and his kids. He's made our environment a richer environment… ultimately, we'd like to see Max King alongside him at some point, and (Mitch) Owens and (Cooper) Sharman. But that vision will take a while to come to hand, but I'm sure it will happen at some point."