Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson has called out St Kilda pair Seb Ross and Tim Membrey for missing the club’s six-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday night.
Both returned to Melbourne rather than staying in Sydney and then flying to Cairns to be with their partners.
Ross’ partner had recently given birth to twins, while Membrey’s partner is due in the next few weeks.
Wilson told Footy Classified on Monday night that members of the Saints organisation asked Ross in particular to stay.
“St Kilda people, senior people, will tell you that guys like Seb Ross and Tim Membrey solve problems for them all over the ground and they would have against Adelaide on the weekend,” Wilson said.
“I’d almost say they would have beaten Adelaide. Instead, Seb Ross left to be with his wife Marnie who gave birth to twins five or six weeks ago and he missed the game when the twins were born and he wasn’t prepared to stay in Sydney and go to Cairns for another week.
“This despite the fact several senior leaders at the club asked him to stay.
“I must stress there is no medical problem with the twins. I know it’s tough when you’re home alone with twins, but there are other family people that could have been with her.
“Membrey’s wife was due to give birth I think next week or the week after. He also didn’t hang around for that Adelaide game and the baby still hasn’t been born.
“This is a club who lost Jake Carlisle from a final last year because his wife was a few weeks away with their first baby and who lost Paddy Ryder earlier in the year, another elephant in the room, when he had six or seven weeks off with emotional issues.
“It is a very odd situation when you have two leaders of the club, particularly one where the babies were born five or six weeks ago were to leave when this was probably their last shot at making finals.”
St Kilda last week stated the pair left with the support of the playing group.
“I would question that,” Wilson added.
“And I think supporters and sponsors and members and other teammates would have every right to be a bit disappointed.
“I would not be making these comments … there was no medical emergency here.”
Kane Cornes agreed with Wilson saying given the circumstances outlined above, the pair should have played and St Kilda “would have won”.
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