David King believes St Kilda’s recent recruiting might come in for “savage criticism” if the club is unsuccessful over the next few seasons.
The likes of Paddy Ryder, Dan Hannebery and Brad Hill along with Brad Crouch, Dougal Howard, Dean Kent, Zak Jones, Dan Butler and Jack Higgins have joined from rival clubs in recent years.
Hannebery and Hill, in particular, have often been the whipping boys given they arrived at Moorabbin on big money and are yet to fully deliver, with the former regularly injured and the latter experiencing wild dips in form.
King is unsure if the current list profile of the Saints will equate to success and is worried they may be a bottom third side in 2022.
The North Melbourne great is also aware of a potential shake-up at the club involving former coach Grant Thomas, who has endorsed Larry Benge for a spot on the board, in a bid to bring much needed change to the underperforming club.
“That just has ugly written all over it,” King said on SEN Drive.
“They’ve got great intentions and I think you’d have to endorse what they’re saying, that some of the strategic directional moves over the last two to three years haven’t worked.
“Are they in a better position right now than what they were two years ago? I think you could argue either way.
“I think their recruiting is going to come for savage criticism in the next 12 to 18 months.”
King is concerned that the playing list at coach Brett Ratten’s disposal has not come on as it may have if the Saints had placed more emphasis on development.
“I think that their list now is at a similar stage to what it was two years ago before they made the decision to go and get some elder statesmen that have cost significant salary cap space,” he added.
“Are they better than what would be coming through developed via the draft? That’s my only query.
“I think North Melbourne, Collingwood, Adelaide, Hawthorn, throw St Kilda in there, what happens to West Coast, they could plummet, they’re the bottom bracket of teams next year, aren’t they?”
The Saints qualified for finals footy last year, for the first time in a decade, before finishing in 10th position in 2021 with a 10-12 win-loss record.
2022 presents as a significant season for St Kilda and their success-starved fans with anything short of September action expected to be deemed as a failure.
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