St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has wandered into the world of "ifs, buts, (and) maybes" following his side's disappointing 15-point loss to Carlton in the annualย 'Spud's Game' at the MCG.
The Saints got off to a flyer but were unable to convert their dominance into meaningful scores, with the Blues holding onto the lead once they took over late in the first term.
The two clubs were matched for inside 50s, but the discernible difference was the efficiency going inside 50, with Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and Lewis Young combining for eight goals.
Despite kicking three of the first four goals, Lyon's men found themselves turning the ball over due to Carlton's pressure, resulting in a 24-point differential on the night, which ultimately decided the game.
"We just couldn't quite gain ascendancy," Lyon said.
"I thought they were on top around clearances and centre bounces early. We started okay (but) there's just a few different things throughout the game, and ultimately, they were able to take opportunities a little bit easier than we were ... (although) we played a pretty good front-half game.
"It was a bit of a moving feast; we turned it over early in the first or second when we were coming out (of defensive 50), but we got rid of that.
"We're not confused, we just want to have a good look at it. I'm probably going to be conservative until I have a good look at it."
But those who watched the game witnessed the youthful Saints being tentative with the ball in hand, as they attempted to avoid Nick Haynes, Jack Silvagni and Jacob Weitering inside the attacking 50.
The Blues trio combined for 22 intercept possessions, which prevented the Moorabbin side from making meaningful thrusts in attack.
"I think they deserved to win, but (with) ifs, buts (and) maybes, maybe it's a different look," Lyon pondered.
"We probably overplayed a little bit ... we tidied that up, but maybe at a cost. Maybe we were better off letting them intercept a bit.
"We're a bit frustrated, and we want to improve quick โ so we need to learn some lessons out of it."
Spud's Game, a marquee match in honour of the late Danny โSpud' Frawley, helps raise awareness around the importance of mental health. Frawley, who played 240 games for St Kilda last century, was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2007 before passing away in 2019.
The Saints will have the chance to respond against West Coast next Sunday evening in Perth.
