The team that has been David King’s “big disappointment” in 2024

David King has labelled St Kilda his big disappointment from the 2024 AFL season.

The Saints entered the season on the back of a finals berth in Ross Lyon’s first season back at Moorabbin but won’t finish higher than 12th this campaign as they currently hold a 10-12 win-loss record.

While Collingwood will likely miss the eight after winning last year’s premiership and Melbourne will finish near St Kilda after finishing top four in 2023, King is most disappointed with the Saints as he initially felt 2024 was set up for them to improve.

His comments came on the back of their Round 22 win over Richmond by 48 points and their Round 23 win over top-four hopeful Geelong by 18 points and he feels like they could have been performing like that from the start of the season if they had their ducks in a row back in March.

“They've probably been my big disappointment for the year, the Saints,” King told SEN Whateley.

“Look, I just thought they had better talent this year than last with the same sort of coaching set up and they had a little bit more luck through the pre-season. They were healthier coming into this year than they were maybe last year.

“We just thought they'd have a better year this year, a bit more growth and it just hasn't been the case, and I can't really work out why.

“Everyone says, ‘Oh, they just lack a midfielder, another boom midfielder’. But I think since they've put Sinclair back as a permanent half-back alongside Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, they've looked like a better product on counterpunch.”

King thinks that the Saints have been held back by a slow, defence first, game style and his proof behind that was how good the side looked against the Cats once they released the shackles in the second half, outscoring Geelong by 51 points.

“This is my frustration with them,” King said.

“I don't know whether the methodical, build-up play, has consumed them. Yes, it works, and you get the ball inside 50 but you can't score. It's never been easier to move the ball … but has it been easier to score? No.

“You can get it there. but if you get it there slowly, you can't score.

“On the weekend in the first half, they had 40 disposals in the corridor, but in the second half, they had 94.

“When they play express, they look brilliant getting those playmakers getting involved.

“They scored 67 points on the weekend out of the defensive half, they've only had three better performances than that since 2015 – three better games than that in 10 years of football.

“Is that them? If that is them, then why haven’t we seen it?”

The Saints will hope to finish their 2024 campaign well when they face a Carlton side that may need to win to play finals at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.