Up against a hungry and energy-packed Saints at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night, the Gold Coast SUNS slipped to a 16.8 (104) to 10.16 (76) loss.
The 28-point defeat was punctuated by a dejected second-quarter display during which a rampant Saints - many people's tip for this year's wooden spoon - booted eight goals to one.
The SUNS rallied late in the final quarter, booting five straight goals but that put a gloss on an otherwise disappointing display.
Defender-cum-forward Josh Bruce played briliiantly for the Saints, kicking a career-high six goals, including four in the second term.
Ahmed Saad, who hadn't kicked a goal in nearly two years, booted two in the first half while the inspirational Bruce set up Jack Sinclair for the first goal of his AFL career.
Sinclair ended the match with two goals as did skipper Nick Riewoldt, while returning SUNS forward Tom Lynch booted three majors in an up-and-down display and midfielder Dion Prestia had two goals.
To add to the SUNS wound, Jarrod Harbrow, playing his 150th AFL match, subbed off at half time with a left shoulder injury.
The former Western Bulldog will undergo scans on Monday to determine the extent of any damage.
SUNS coach Rodney Eade said Saturday's effort improved on the loss to the Demons for three of the four quarters, but the poor discipline and some basic skill errors had undermined that effort.
"I was pleased how we bounced back after halftime but that second quarter, not through effort I don't think, it was just horrific, the way we used the ball and a lot of basic errors," he said.
"[We] handballed too much. [We] missed goals when we got an opportunity.
"There's some things there we need to change, not only the gameplan, but some things that I'd been told about before I got here.
"The skill level has been bad. We've worked heavily on it over the summer but we just need to keep working on it."
The Gold Coast SUNS head to Geelong next weekend to take on the Cats.
GC SUNS 3.5 4.6 5.13 10.16 (76)
ST KILDA 4.3 12.5 13.8 16.8 (104)
GOALS
GC SUNS: Lynch 3, Prestia 2, Hallahan, Rischitelli, Garlett, Bennell, Ablett
St Kilda: Bruce 6, Riewoldt 2, Saad 2, Sinclair 2, Roberton, Lonie, Dunstan, Curren
BEST
GC SUNS: Rischitelli, Prestia, Martin, Miller, Saad, Swallow
St Kilda: Bruce, Armitage, Fisher, Dunstan, Newnes, Longer
INJURIES
GC SUNS: Harbrow (shoulder)
St Kilda: Adam Schneider (soreness) replaced in selected side by Nathan Wright; Saad (concussion)
SUBSTITUTES
GC SUNS: Jarrod Garlett replaced Jarrod Harbrow at half-time
St Kilda: Nathan Wright replaced Ahmed Saad in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Ryan, Schmitt, Jeffery
Official crowd: 13,649 at Metricon Stadium
