ST KILDA will go back to basics in the second half of the season as it looks to play out a year unlikely to end in a finals berth, David Armitage says.
The Saints' 68-point loss to North Melbourne on Sunday evening was their eighth defeat of the season, which leaves a September appearance an improbable event.
Armitage said the team simply had to return to the fundamentals of football with 12 games remaining, starting with their clash with West Coast on Sunday at Etihad Stadium.
"We've just got to get back to basics. You can have the structure and the game plan but fundamentally, if you don't win the ball and tackle and stuff like that – basics of footy – structure and game plans fall down," Armitage said on Monday.
"We've just got to get back to basics – contested football and chasing and tackling and that kind of thing."
Armitage said the Saints' bye, which falls after they play the Eagles, had come at an ideal time and would allow the players to get away for a few days and recharge for the second half of the season.
But he admitted it was going to be a challenge to find motivation with finals unlikely to happen.
"It is going to be tough, isn't it? But you've just got to take it week by week," he said.
"It's the old cliché but it is true – you've just got to take it week by week and try and improve, try and build for the next game, get some momentum going into the end of the year.
"Then you can have a good pre-season, recruit, and then start again, pretty much."
The Saints were blown away by the Kangaroos' nine-goal opening quarter on Sunday, which opened up a 55-point deficit at the first break.
Armitage said while the midfield was challenged, the absence of experienced players such as Lenny Hayes and Sam Gilbert was no excuse.
He also emphasised the importance of the young players continuing to build their experience on the senior stage.
"We've got some young guys coming through – Sebby Ross and Jack Newnes and they haven't played that many games and they're still learning," he said.
"When it does get tough like that, it is hard for a young bloke.
"I've been through it and it is a tough period when you go through games like that.
"We've just got to keep building and keep getting games into those young guys and eventually it will come off for us."
Armitage said it was hard to understand why the Saints were flat in the game's opening stages for the second week running after they gave up a two-goal lead to the Western Bulldogs last Sunday in the first term.
He said arresting the early slumps had become a priority.
"It could be training. When you don't train during the week really well, it comes out in games," he said.
"It starts on the training track and all you can do is train hard and hopefully it follows through to the game.
"Training wasn't too bad so we can't really put a finger on it.
"It's something we've got to fix pretty quick otherwise teams are going to belt us in the first quarter.
"We'll look to fix it straight away."
Jennifer Phelan is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenPhelan.
