WINLESS after two months, firmly anchored to last place with a percentage of just 37, and having parted ways with the coach, there are plenty of items on St Kilda's to-do list for the rest of the year.

The Saints made the finals last season for the first time in seven attempts, but have crashed down earth in dramatic fashion.

There are four matches to come (Collingwood, Fremantle on the road, Brisbane and Port Adelaide), and a busy trade and draft period and off-season of planning ahead.

What's next for St Kilda?

1. Find a new coach, and be completely honest in the independent review

Nick Dal Santo will coach his final match on Saturday, having stepped down on Friday. A yet-to-be determined interim will take charge for the final three games of the season, with assistants Matt Brewer (also head of development) and Matt Skubis the most likely options, while Jack Frost has senior experience heading up Sandringham. First criterium on the list for the club should be a coach who can commit to the program full-time, unlike Dal Santo, and someone with experience in women's football. Independent reviews - this one to be conducted by Brad Lloyd - aren't a panacea, but the more upfront and honest the players and staff are about the challenges they're experiencing, the more productive they can be. Richmond has seen a small bump after it completely overhauled its program after Lloyd ran his eyes over it, while Carlton is pushing for premiership candidate status, a few years after its own.

2. Senior players need to take ownership

While the older bracket of players aged 30 and up is far smaller than some other teams (containing just Nicola Barr, Bianca Jakobsson and Jaimee Lambert, with Hannah Priest pregnant), there are still plenty who have played at least 50 matches. Despite Tyanna Smith's blistering start to the year, she's averaging just 18.9 disposals – which is the Saints' highest average. Skipper Serene Watson is averaging five fewer touches year-on-year. Georgia Patrikios averages just two clearances a game, and after six goals last year, has not hit the scoreboard in 2026. Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw has kicked seven goals, five of which came in one game, meaning the team's leading target has gone goalless on five of eight occasions.

3. Head to the green hills of Ireland

It's a resource-heavy decision, but there's no surprise that all premiership teams from 2019 onwards have had key involvement from Irish players. The rapid expansion of the competition – fielding 18 teams seven seasons in – means there are gaps to be filled to help build depth while a generation of girls are still working their way through the talent pathway. While ex-Eagle Grace Kelly and Clara Fitzpatrick (played VFLW) spent some time at the club, St Kilda directly signed its first Irish player out of Gaelic football, Saoirse Lally, in this year's pre-season draft. They're behind a number of other clubs in terms of directing resources towards Ireland, but one or two handy pick-ups can change the course of a team.

4. Address the alarming number of injuries

Yes, it's a contact sport, and yes, footy "accidents" happen – this isn't about Amber Clarke's ankle getting caught underneath a marking contest. Last year the Saints had another decent whack of injuries, but most of them were collision-based, including an unusually high number of broken legs. This year, there appears to be a higher percentage of more wear-and-tear and loading-based issues. J'Noemi Anderson has been sidelined for seven weeks and counting with a hamstring (including a setback), Carys D'Addario (hip) was only available for three on-and-off games this year and fellow draftee Jade McLay has done a long-term calf. Throw in the usual handful of concussions, and the Saints needed two top-ups in their squad two weeks ago, and three last week.

5. Seriously consider splitting pick No.1

The hot favourite for the first pick this year is Bailee Martin, a highly talented hybrid forward from Oakleigh Chargers. She's a special talent with the work ethic to boot, but with Tasmanian-affected drafts on the horizon, it's worth seriously considering putting the No.1 pick on the trade table in order to maximise options at this year's draft. The demand for access to Martin is high across the league, and teams will be keen to move mountains to pull together an attractive array of picks in exchange for No.1. The midfield crop doesn’t run as deep this year, nor is quite as dynamic, meaning those at the top end become more important for clubs in the market for on-ballers, and the Saints would do well to land a couple.