If there is such a thing as "unsexy football", St Kilda are becoming the masters of it after yet another dismal, low-scoring AFL defeat - this time a 22-point loss to the Kangaroos.

Once the swaggering kings of Telstra Dome with potent, fast, goal-laden football, the Saints were again limp and lifeless on the ground they used to dominate on, crashing to their fourth successive defeat.

Four goals to forward Corey Jones spearheaded the Kangaroos' 11.14 (80) to 8.10 (58) win in a dour match St Kilda never seriously looked like winning.

After the Saints had just five goals to three-quarter time and trailed by 21 points at the final break, they teased at the start of the fourth, kicking the opening two goals through Jason Gram and Justin Koschitzke to close within eight points.

But three quick Kangaroos goals, including Jones' fourth, sealed the match as the Roos nestled inside the top eight with a 7-4 win-loss record.

St Kilda now slump to 4-7 and have kicked just 29 goals in their past four matches, despite possessing two of the competition's best power forwards in Fraser Gehrig and Nick Riewoldt.

Both were well held by Drew Petrie and Michael Firrito respectively.

But the Saints' real problem was delivery into the forward line as they butchered virtually every attacking foray with turnover after turnover, producing long periods of insipid, near-unwatchable football.

The defeat added a dreadful post-script to a week of woe for the Saints, with president Rod Butterss' and former coach Grant Thomas' ugly public spat putting the club in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

There was nothing remotely as interesting or exciting on offer on-field from the Saints, nor anywhere near the amount of fight shown by Butterss and Thomas in their week-long media stoush.

Rookie coach Ross Lyon blamed his side's poor use of the football, early defence and goal conversion for the defeat, and said the Butterss-Thomas feud had no bearing on the sluggish performance.

But Lyon's Swans-like gameplan - and his players' ability to carry it out - is coming into question as the one-time finals aspirants wobble past the halfway mark of the season occupying a spot in the bottom four.

"Am I prepared for the criticism? I think it goes with the position," Lyon said.

"Clearly at the minute the performance isn't what the club would like it to be or the supporters or the executive of the club.

"That puts me under the spotlight and I'll deal with the public criticism that comes.

"What deals with it is fixing performance - wins. What we've got to do is get some wins on the board, fix our ability to defend, fix our ability to score."

Certainly Lyon has the public support of his president, who launched a spirited defence of all those in charge at his club.

"I know Rossy Lyon and the playing group and everyone in the football department is doing everything humanly possible," Butterss said.

"They are skilled and capable people, with high levels of integrity. They have what it takes to deliver the goods.

"We must not falter in our support for those people."

A subdued Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley, who is believed to have learned of a family bereavement while coaching, credited his side's victory to outstanding defence.

"We played a really uncompromising style of football today and I thought we did it over four quarters.

"The boys got rewarded for effort so I'm very pleased."

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