After a historically bad Saints performance, it’s time for Dal Santo to go

October 4, 2026 — 3:36pm

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If St Kilda want to have a successful AFLW program, they need to make several bold decisions. The first one should be parting with long-time senior coach Nick Dal Santo, whose position, after a winless season so far, is now untenable.

That was never more clear than on Saturday, when the Saints made history for all the wrong reasons.

During their clash against the Bulldogs in Ballarat, St Kilda booted just one point – the club’s lowest ever score and the equal-lowest in AFLW history. It was the lowest score kicked by any side since round 10, 2022.

The Saints’ singular behind, from Ashleigh Richards, came with 41 seconds to go in the final quarter; the 30-point margin could have been far greater, given the Bulldogs’ inaccuracy (3.13).

It was the Saints’ eighth consecutive loss in a winless season.

The alarm bells are sounding for Dal Santo, whose contract finishes at the end of 2026.

He spoke after the loss, where he was defensive about his team’s performance, citing poor conditions, an extensive injury list and inexperience, though he admitted the team “did not use the ball very........

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