St Kilda plan to stop Geelong fans shouting Bailey Smith's name from the rooftops as they ask serious questions of their own AFL intent.
The Saints started the season with a worrying 63-point loss and will start rank outsiders under the Marvel Stadium roof on Saturday night against the Cats, who mauled Fremantle.
Smith was best afield in his Geelong debut and coach Chris Scott said their fans had every right to be excited, saying they should be "shouting it from the rooftops".
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said Smith will demand some attention.
"Obviously there was a lot of noise around Bailey Smith ... we have a look at him," Lyon said before Thursday training.
"As Chris said ... shout his name from the grandstand. I'm not sure, at the end of the game, if they're shouting his name from the grandstand, we might be in a bit of trouble."
But Lyon noted after such a poor round-one performance the Saints' focus must be their own game.
"There were lots of holes ... our pressure was really 17th-18th for the round, so a bit about method and hunt," he said.
"But outside of that, our exiting out of defence, which really we sat in the top three with last year ... before the end of the second quarter (we gave up) 50 per cent more than we'd give up in a game.
"So credit to the Crows, but disappointing method, so we've gone to school on that.
"That's been our DNA, we can set the field and all those things better."
Commentator Mick McGuane, whom Lyon respects, said in the media on Thursday that a round-one shocker can be rectified quickly.
Still, the Saints coach did not try to hide his worry.
"We have to get our mindset right. I didn't like what we dished up, I didn't enjoy it - I feel we are better than that," he said.
"We want an environment that's safe to fail, but ... you're only safe to fail if you're giving 100 per cent.
"That's probably the question mark, where we're at - some of the stuff, were you really mentally giving what you needed to?"
St Kilda will be buoyed by their recent history against the Cats, with three wins from their last five games.
"They were maybe one injury away - (Max) Holmes - from being in another grand final and potentially a premiership, it would be fair to say," Lyon said of Geelong.
"We played well against them last year and couple of times, the year before we did okay.
"So we feel like we understand them and have a method, if you can bring it to life, but that's the challenge.
"It doesn't matter who you play, you have to bring the hunt, bring the pressure and then spread the ball really well, make them defend and take out their offensive threats - of which they have a few."
They have named 2022 draftee Isaac Keeler for his AFL debut and will regain Mitch Owens from injury among four changes.
Liam Stocker and Lance Collard will also return while Harry Boyd, Zaine Cordy, Arie Schoenmaker and Angus Hastie were dropped.
Lyon said Max King (knee) and Mattaes Phillipou (leg stress reaction) were also making solid progress in their recoveries, with King likely to return by round four or five.
