ST KILDA will focus on adding more depth to its midfield at the end of the year after its onball brigade was smashed in the Saints' loss to North Melbourne on Sunday. 

The Saints fell to a 55-point deficit at quarter-time after the Kangaroos' midfield ran riot in the opening term. 

The disparity in possessions at the first break (132-51 in North's favour) highlighted the gap between the sides, and St Kilda coach Scott Watters said North's early dominance was a sign the club's midfield stocks needed boosting.  

"If you actually have a look through our midfield, there's some experience within it but parts of it are pretty green as well. Probably overall our midfield depth as a group is not where it needs to be," Watters said after the Saints' 68-point defeat. 

"We'll probably bring up another one or two young midfielders and we'll expose them, play them and teach them. That's the only way forward. Then we'll get to the end of the year and we'll recruit. There's no secret to getting there."

 

Watters described the result as "a lesson for our midfield", but said after quarter-time the group "stabilised" to be more competitive. 

That came after a message to get back to basics, beat your direct player, win contests, and play a one-on-one style of football. 

"It needed to be a very simple message. There's not a lot of bells and whistles in footy. We've got a number of young players within that group who needed to hear a simple message," Watters said.  

The Saints started Tom Hickey in the ruck while consistent big man Ben McEvoy begun the game as a deep forward. 

They tried other things throughout the game, too, all measures to give more experience to their younger players. 

"We could start our best line-up every week and Jimmy Webster might not have played tonight. Whilst we're here to try to win games of footy, we also know the only way for Tom Hickey to improve is to actually get some exposure and play," Watters said. 

"That's part of growing your group, and we're not going to deviate from that. These losses hurt along the way but you don't move forward if you're not prepared to take it."

While Nick Riewoldt performed well following his concussion last week, running half-back Nathan Wright will have scans on his back after copping a heavy knock late in the contest.