ST KILDA will send three crucial players to get scans following a horror day at Marvel Stadium in which it fell to the Western Bulldogs by 22 points.

Jack Sinclair came off early in the game with a calf issue, and ruck Tom De Koning in the second quarter after a big hit to the ribs, with neither able to return to the field.

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Sinclair watched the remainder of the game from the bench in a protective boot, while De Koning was sent to hospital for precautionary care, according to the club.

Meanwhile, Rowan Marshall will also undergo scans on his left shoulder, despite playing out the game.

"Lower leg. I know there's speculation about an Achilles," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said of Sinclair's injury.

"I'm not in a position to comment any further, except to say they think it's more calf.

"Really simply, three players will go for a scan. Rowan precautionary scan, 'TDK' precautionary, like in the rib area, but clearly you're making sure there's no punctured lungs and all of that, he's pretty tough, and hopefully with the bye he's able to get back.

"You can't live in that space (of complaining about injuries) because there's still opportunities to get it done.

"Sinclair helps all that efficiency ... but I thought our spirit was strong."

Lyon lamented his side's lack of efficiency going forward, with the Saints kicking just eight goals from 61 inside 50s, while conceding 12 from the Bulldogs' 45.

"They defended 61 entries really well and our system or method wasn't at the level that it's been at all year. So, you know, is it execution, is it competing, is it decisions, is it fumbling, execution, composure? So, in the end, that was really costly," Lyon said.

"And, obviously, (Marcus) Bontempelli. We tried to negate him, we had people doing roles, and he just got it done. So ultimately, he stood up and had 13 clearances and (34 disposals), particularly (his) second half was huge, and we couldn't curtail him when we were trying to.

"But you look at the amount of entries and opportunities, we should have been able to make them pay more than we did. We were anaemic, scoring off that level of entry."

Late in the game, star Saint Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera flipped the bird to some Bulldogs fans in the crowd as he came to the bench. While Lyon admitted to not having seen the incident, he did say: "we like a bit of theatre. Do we like the bird? We're about to find out."

The focus of Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was on relief that the game was won, and where improvements might still be made, but the Dogs' coach also revealed that he had a coffee with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon during the week.

"He's taking the time to make sure he is across everyone's processes," Beveridge explained.

Ahead of this week's CEOs conference, Beveridge's two key suggestions to the AFL boss were around the draft; raising the age of draftees to 19, and moving draft night earlier in the post-season window.

"I'm still big on the draft being a 19-year-old draft, with clubs being able to take one under-18 player. Especially with Tasmania coming in, I think there's an opportunity to adjust to that and keep working on the state league situation looking as good as it can without too many byes in it," Beveridge said.

"But the one thing I suggested for the industry was for the draft to be at the end of the third week in October. The only reason it isn't is because we're paranoid about the potential draftees having to find out whether or not they're being drafted before their exams. If that's the only consideration, I think there's an argument the other side of that to say that the students would just rather know, just let them know, and then they can concentrate on their exams.

"And for everyone in the industry, it just makes sense. We've got medical staff still going, coaches still going, the media build up to the draft is madness. We could get it all done, and the other thing that it does, it gives the women's competition clean air - totally clean air - in between the men's season preparation, because it clouds it a little bit.

"So, we had great chats about different things, but ultimately, who am I? I'm just a suggestive."