St Kilda AFLW coach Nick Dal Santo is facing increasing pressure following a lopsided defeat to the Western Bulldogs, which saw the team register its lowest ever score in the league. On Saturday afternoon at Mars Stadium, the Saints recorded just a single point, narrowly avoiding a scoreless game when Ashleigh Richards kicked a point with less than a minute remaining. The final tally of 0.1 (1) matches the lowest score in AFLW history and surpasses St Kilda’s prior low of 0.2 (2), set in a 2022 loss to Carlton.

The match exposed multiple areas of concern for the Saints, who were dominated in contested possessions 128-84 and were significantly outperformed inside the 50-meter arc, 40-21. The defeat leaves St Kilda as the only winless team in the competition this season, a year after the club made its inaugural finals appearance. Meanwhile, Essendon ended its own losing streak with a victory over Greater Western Sydney.

Dal Santo, a respected figure at the club, is currently out of contract and under scrutiny amid fan frustration over the team's ongoing struggles. He attributed the poor performance to a combination of factors including player injuries, a condensed schedule, travel fatigue, and the youth of the playing list. “We’ve got an extensive injury list,” Dal Santo said, noting that the team fielded its 32nd player of the season despite a list capped at 30 athletes. “We knew it was a challenge to come back from the Gold Coast last week on just a six-day break.”

Dal Santo also referenced the advantage held by the Western Bulldogs, who had two extra days to recover and did not have to travel before the match. In contrast, St Kilda undertook travel to Ballarat following their previous game, a factor Dal Santo suggested contributed to the players appearing tired on the field.

This season has marked a difficult period for the Saints, who have suffered their heaviest defeats in club history, including a 92-point loss to North Melbourne and an 85-point loss to Geelong. As the season progresses, St Kilda will need to address these performance gaps to avoid a winless finish.