TERRIBLE ball use was the reason St Kilda almost coughed up Sunday's clash with Essendon at Etihad Stadium, says coach Alan Richardson.

The Saints struggled to hit the target for the entire contest but ended up 11-point victors against the team at the bottom of the ladder.

Full match coverage and stats

Essendon's defensive pressure was of a high quality, and it forced St Kilda to handball far more often than it ordinarily would. 

The Saints finished with 181 kicks and 205 handballs. After 16 rounds, they average 201 kicks and 176 handballs per game.

"We just butchered the footy. That had a fair bit to do with the Bombers, and their pressure. We overused it," Richardson said after the match.

"At one stage, we were a long way in front in handball versus kick, and that's not the way we want to play.

"We just didn't give our forwards a chance. The forwards, other than Tim (Membrey), didn't have a great day. 

"We didn't really give them an opportunity to get the ball in there quickly enough. We were way too slow with the footy."

Five talking points: Essendon v St Kilda

Membrey booted five goals straight but Josh Bruce and Nick Riewoldt combined for just two.

Bruce in particular struggled, and he finished with 12 disposals and three marks as he was well held by Bombers defender Michael Hartley. 

Richardson bemoaned a lack of contributors from his team, but paid tribute to two men who could potentially follow Nick Riewoldt in the role as captain.

"Obviously Membrey had a good game, I thought (Tom) Hickey had a positive game, but two guys in particular, Jack Steven and Jarryn Geary, were just outstanding for us," Richardson said.

"(They performed well) all day, and were probably even stronger again for us late.

"(We) relied a little bit too much on too few. That was probably my message in a nutshell after the game, to the players." 

WATCH: Alan Richardson's full post-match press conference

Steven collected 41 disposals, 22 contested possessions, 12 clearances and slotted his side's final goal to give them a 17-point advantage.

Improving ball movement could come by bringing Jack Billings into the team. His 36-disposal and two-goal effort at Sandringham on Saturday was his first contest in four weeks after he suffered an ankle injury.

"He's pulled up pretty well from the game, we'll just have to wait and see how he trains," Richardson said.