There was no hiding General Manager of Football Simon Lethean’s frustrations when he spoke to 3AW Radio on Sunday.

Lethlean delivered a blunt assessment after the Saints capitulated to a far hungrier Bulldogs outfit on Saturday night.

“It was a very disappointing performance from the 22 players out on the ground,” Lethlean said.

“It was a completely different and less competitive output than the week prior against the Giants, and we’ve just got to get to the bottom of why that is.

“It’s not good enough. I think Alan (Richardson) was pretty direct after the game … that we need to find out the ‘why’. Why is the lack of consistency so apparent at the moment?

“In a back half of the year that’s turned around to be better than the first half, that was a real standout poor performance.”

PODCAST: Drink  It Through with Simon Lethlean

With the Saints currently sitting in 15^th spot on the ladder with just four wins, Lethlean said it was up to everyone at the Saints to take responsibility.

“I think the whole football program has to take responsibility,” he said.

“That includes our list and how it’s been formed, our high-performance area – which I think is one of the best in the competition – it includes our development coaching and our programs there, and it includes the coaching.

“It’s a whole program that gets results, which is why we’ve made some of the changes we have, and we’ll be looking to improve the insights and the smarts in all of our programs, and make sure that the coaches are held to account, just as the players are.”

“It’s not all about coaching, the players need to take responsibility and work harder and look at themselves as to why they can have good and bad patches in games.

“You have to show on-field leadership to turn things around when things aren’t going well and that wasn’t there (on Saturday night).

The ex-AFL Executive reiterated the club’s position on the senior coach, stressing the importance of surrounding Richardson with the support he needs to take the Saints forward.

“I see enough in Richo, his long history in coaching, the way he educates our players … I see the effort he puts in and the way he can lead people. I see that first-hand, so I know that he’s the right man to lead this group forward,” Lethlean said.

“We’ve got to make him the best coach he can be … and we need our players to dig in, be more competitive and improve our list as well. We’ve got enough faith in Richo to give him the best chance he has to make an impact, and we’re going to support him, not look to blame him.

“All good coaches need extra support, extra tactical nous, extra development coaches to get the best out of players, extra leadership on the field from your good players, and your young players to step up … the coach can’t do all that.”

Lethlean arrived at the Saints at the beginning of 2018 and said he was hellbent on helping the club take back lost ground.

“I’m going to repay the faith St Kilda has shown in my second chance in the industry,” Lethlean said.

“I’m going to work hard for it. I’m passionate about success, and there are lots of people at our club that deserve success – there are 45,000 members that deserve it too – so I’m all in to help out, dig in and have a real go.”

Coming in from the outside, it’s clear to Lethlean that St Kilda is united in its goal to secure an elusive second premiership, and he said that’s the motivating factor behind every decision that is made at Moorabbin.

“There is an insatiable appetite at the Saints to win our second flag. We may be seemingly a way off that right now, but maybe we aren’t too far either,” he said.

“The one thing I love about the Saints right now is that from the board down to ‘Champ’, the 78-year-old property steward, everyone’s all in to win a second flag. I want to be part of that … so that’s what drives me.

“For a club of 150 years’ heritage who have won one flag, to get a second would be massive, and that’s why I want the fans and supporters to stick with us.

“They’ve been a loyal, resilient bunch and they’ll stay with us, but just know that we’re all in to turn this thing around, and to win a second flag back at Moorabbin.

“There’s a lot of work to do, but we’re up for it.”