Recent public statements from new club CEO, Matt Finnis, who with president Peter Summers recently outlined to the AFL commission why they think so many fans are disconnected from the club - and how they plan to attract them back - have grabbed Plympton's attention.

St Kilda have taken advice from a 'brand psychologist' on the matter. The club has told the AFL its latent supporters have felt let down, and have ultimately distanced themselves, due to a perception of poor discipline and poor decision-making.

The Saints had the lowest membership tally of the Victorian clubs in 2014, the club's average attendances dipped and it reported a debt of more than $9 million.

Plympton, the St Kilda president from between 1993-2000, told Fairfax Media: "There's a lot of great people who have been involved with the club over the years who would just be slightly aghast at this re-emphasis on culture. Get on with the job.

"Every new administration that comes through St Kilda talks about the change of culture. Understood. The club hasn't won a premiership for a long period of time. But also let's recognise that it's about other things as well. It's about money. If you haven't got the cash you've got no splash.

"Don't insult the people who have worked very hard at this club that you've got to change the culture of the club. Be cautious about how you go about that."

Widely credited for the dramatic turnaround of Yachting Australia during his stint as president of that Olympic sport, Plympton said he was "not close" and "not involved" with St Kilda in 2015. But the Australian Sports Commission executive is clearly still well connected. In October 2013 Plympton publicly forecast the imminent demise of former Saints coach Scott Watters. Though he palmed it off as a joke at the time and Plympton's claim was quashed by the club, by the end of the month Watters was finished.

Of the new hierarchy running the Saints, Plympton said: "I don't know the coach [Alan Richardson], I do know the chief executive, and congratulations but heads down and go out and improve."

From an image perspective, Plympton said he believes the events of 2004, when the now-retired Stephen Milne and teammate Leigh Montagna were arrested over a rape allegation, still haunt the club. Last November, Milne pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the complainant and three rape charges against him were discontinued. Montagna - widely seen to have been a victim by association - was never charged.

"This matter went on for ten years and was exacerbated by members of the public making comments when perhaps they shouldn't have, and the comments other coaches have made. The story stayed live," Plympton said.

Asked his view of St Kilda's recent moves to promote women inside the organisation – within 12 months the club has appointed the AFL's first female coach, Peta Searle, recruited a second woman to its board, and now has three females on its executive team – Plympton said: "I think it's a good strategy if they're getting the right people for the right job…"

"But I don't ever recall St Kilda being a blokey club. It's a different club, but I've always regarded the culture at St Kilda, and one of the very good points, is that it's a very inclusive club."

In charge when St Kilda moved home games from Moorabbin to Waverley Park and then from Waverley Park to Etihad Stadium, Plympton suggested it was inevitable the club would play more matches for premiership points in New Zealand in future.

"We had the luxury, after 1997/98, of being the number three membership club in Melbourne. That's not the case any more," he said.

"But I'd rather see the red, white and black going around on television, or seeing them live 12 times, than not seeing them go around at all."