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King: St Kilda pile on the greatest overreaction of all time
Jaiden Sciberras • March 24th, 2026 8:58 am
Was the early criticism of St Kilda an overreaction?
David King certainly thinks so, labelling last week's pile on the “greatest overreaction of all time”.
After their loss to Melbourne in Round 1, St Kilda’s 0-2 start received quite the feedback.
Having spent a significant amount of cash on free agent signings over the off-season, the expectations on the Saints rose exponentially, with many expecting the side to leap into the upper echelon.
However, after a loss to Collingwood in Opening Round and a surprising loss to a restarting Melbourne, the Saints became the prime subject of media street. Winless through two, criticism over the club's spending, coaching decisions and recruitment came to the fore.
That said, early in their Round 2 clash with GWS, Ross Lyon's men looked to rectify their poor form, getting off to a flying start in one of the tougher away fixtures on the calendar.
And while the second half wasn't pretty by any means, the Saints held on to claim victory against the Giants, avoiding a dreaded 0-3 start and dodging the headlines.
As stated by King, results for St Kilda were imminent.
“The greatest overreaction of all time last week, the St Kilda discussion,” King told SEN Fireball.
“They were always going to bounce back. They played pretty good footy last week against Melbourne. That’s what has been missed. They changed the way that they’re playing, they are going through some teething issues.
“I know they spent some money, but they are spending no more money than any other club. No more money! How they are spending it is different.”
Much of the criticism surrounded the use of superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, with his time spent up forward and on the bench late in the Saints loss to Melbourne hailed as the “dumbest coaching move this year”.
However, with player rating statistics revealing the true influence Nasiah has had within both the midfield and ahead of the ball, King believes the Saints' management of their $2 million man has been perfect.
“Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is the third rated midfielder and the eighth rated forward in the comp,” King said.
“How they use him is bloody brilliant! How you could have a problem with it is fanciful.
“(Joe) Daniher went to Brisbane, they didn’t win the flag that year. It never happens straight away. When was the last time it happened straight away?!
“I’ve got no problems with some teething pains. No issue with it. None! They only have to finish top 10, what’s the hurry? They’ll be fine.
“Last week was an overreaction. The assessment of (Wanganeen-Milera) being off the ground for three extra minutes is an overreaction.
“I haven’t heard one thing about Adelaide having (Izak) Rankine on the bench or (Jordan) Dawson on the bench (against the Bulldogs). I haven’t heard anything like that!
“You all sweated on them losing on the weekend. You were all waiting for them to start 0-3. You were all waiting to pile on, and guess what, you lost all of your content because they won!”
St Kilda's start doesn't get any easier, with reigning premiers Brisbane freshn off a bye at Marvel Stadium this Saturday.
