Knights said the team's "worst half for the year" was due to his players not displaying the right attitude.
"It happens because you're not first to the ball, you follow in and you don't stand up – the contest you flop – that's how it happens and when you're on the deck, you're already playing with one less, which is no good in the modern game," Knights said post-match.
"Everyone has got a responsibility – all 22 – no-one in particular, no individual, all 22 and I'll deal with that behind closed doors."
Knights, who made his feelings known to his players during the quarter-time and half-time breaks, said not winning the "cheap" ball helped spark the form shown in the third quarter.
Still, he found some positives in the after half time and praised the efforts of 19-year-old Kyle Reimers, who is in his second AFL season.
"There were some positives in the second half. I wouldn't say enough," he said. "I've got a [19]-year-old guy called Kyle Reimers … but you've got a [19]-year-old fella who is leading the way, which is not ideal.
"He's just turned [19] and we took him as a 17-year-old [in 2006] and he shows a lot of spunk and he takes the game on and he stands up in contests, so I'm really proud of Kyle – I think he's a terrific young player."
Although pleased with David Hille's ruckwork and skipper Matthew Lloyd's ability to respond with four goals, Knights conceded he needed his senior group to play to its maximum.
"The senior players, because we've got a very young team, have got a lot of responsibility," Knights said.
"I guess I'm challenging them to no end about their responsibility and their role in the club and their role in the team and because I've been with the young guys for a fair while – I coached them at Bendigo – it's probably the senior guys who have been challenged the most with the transition.
"They're up for the task and when I speak to them and give them feedback, they take it on the chin and they understand and they try and work on it."
With the injury-plagued Dons registering their seventh loss of the season, Knights conceded his opening nine rounds as a senior coach had provided some challenging times after some exhilarating wins early.
"It's all a part of football and what comes out of difficult times is solutions and direction and even out of half time this evening and post-match, we may have some nice new directions for the footy club," Knights said.
"I see it as a great challenge and I still wholeheartedly believe it's the best way to go to bring a young group together and a vision for down the track, so that when we do get good, we stay good.
"So I'm not perturbed too much. You've got to hang tough and keep directing players and keep developing and keep talking to them [and remain] honest ... and eventually they'll come through."
