Jimmy Bartel says St Kilda’s early season struggles shouldn’t come as a huge shock, given the club’s fixture and injury list.

But it’s how they’re losing which is alarming.

The Saints are 2-3 after five rounds, with losses to unbeaten Melbourne and premiership favourite Richmond among the defeats.

But Thursday night’s 86-point thrashing was Richmond’s biggest win over the Saints since 1985.

And Essendon trounced the Saints by 75 points in Round 3.

“I knew it was going to be tough for them in the early rounds, due to the injuries, and it was a matter of just holding the fort until all these key players came back,” Bartel explained on 3AW Football.

“But I didn’t expect them to be belted, absolutely belted.

“There’s losing and then there is getting torched and they’ve been torched twice in three weeks.”

Bartel said the Saints “lost confidence in their ball movement” and were struggling to get going.

“They’ve gone into the shell,” he said.

Click PLAY below to hear more on 3AW Football

(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)