ST KILDA'S inconsistency can be put down to its youth, says midfielder Jack Steven, but he is unsure if the maturing process can be sped up as the Saints try to keep their finals hopes alive.
Alan Richardson's men dropped their second-straight game last Saturday against Sydney by 42 points.
Prior to that, they had won four in a row – a streak that came on the back of three consecutive losses and three wins before that.
The Saints face another tough challenge on Saturday, travelling to Adelaide Oval to face fifth-placed Port Adelaide.
It looms as a crucial clash, for the Steven's team who sit 9-8 and in 11th spot on the ladder.
The 27-year-old is struggling to unpick the Saints' inconsistency.
"I'd like to know (the answer), then we'd just have wins all the time. We're a younger group I guess, so it's just about maturity and working together, sticking fat I think," he said on Tuesday at Seaford.
Having those young players develop quicker would be ideal, but Steven was unsure whether it could be done.
"Probably not. Hopefully we can, just talking about it and sticking together. The leaders, that I'm (a part of), try and help the boys and show our experiences and help them through it," he said.
The Saints had six players with 50 or fewer games experience run out against Sydney, including debutant Rowan Marshall.
On the other hand, the victorious Swans had 10.
St Kilda could be without former captain Nick Riewoldt against the Power, who could be rested.
The veteran didn't train on Tuesday but was out on the track, watching on with the coaches.
Nick Riewoldt chatted with Alan Richardson as the Saints trained on Tuesday. Picture: AFL Photos
Leigh Montagna will definitely miss after he suffered a right hamstring injury against the Swans.
Steven will line up in his 150th match this weekend after what has been an "up-and-down" season by his own reckoning.
After winning his third best and fairest in four years in 2016, the dynamic onballer has been inconsistent at times as he faces more attention from the opposition.
Steven pointed out that disposal counts weren't the only measure for contributing to the team's cause.
"It's tough (dealing with taggers) but I think there's a lot of ways you can go about it. As long as you're helping the team win, it's not necessarily how many possessions you get (that determines) whether you beat the tag or not," Steven said.
"I'm always working with Adam Kingsley, our midfield coach, and I think I'm getting a lot better at it."
