ST KILDA coach Scott Watters says he was saddened to hear Justin Koschitzke admit he hasn't enjoyed playing football in years.

Speaking on Melbourne radio on Friday night, Koschitzke - who did not play on Friday night as he battles a calf complaint - said the AFL lifestyle had become so demanding and restrictive that it had stamped out all fun from the game.



Even at the peak of the Saints powers under Ross Lyon in 2008-10, Koschitzke, 30, said he didn’t enjoy competing at the top level.



Watters, talking to SEN the day after his side's 46-point loss to Hawthorn, said he was "sad" to hear the veteran's thoughts on football but believed the pressure of being a high draft pick had worn down the Saint.



"It was sad to hear and I have had those conversations with Kosi," Watters said on SEN on Saturday.



"He's worn the pressure of being a No.2 draft pick for many, many years and obviously his form has gone up and down over a long, long time and pressure can take its toll."



In a claim that will raise fears about players’ mental wellbeing, Koschitzke spoke of the growing demands on players in today's game.



“I can’t remember the last time I ran out and enjoyed playing a game of footy,” Koschitzke said on Triple M on Friday night.



“It’s just the effort that it takes to prepare. The two hours that you see out there is two per cent of what goes on in the footy life.



“Even when we were playing well and winning (it wasn’t fun).



“It was still, this is great, the game’s over and you have an hour off to enjoy the game after the game in the showers with the boys and have a muck around and that, and, then you go home.



“All of a sudden you are thinking about next week. You recover and you are on to it.”



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The AFL last month granted players longer off-season breaks and banned off-season training tracking devices to help ease the burden on the game’s stars.



Koschitzke, who is stuck on 199 games, said he expects to play a 200th milestone match in one of the Saints final two matches of the season against Gold Coast and Fremantle at Etihad Stadium.



“He (coach Scott Watters) said he’d like me to get there (to 200),” he said.



“I’m very unlikely to go to Sydney (next week), then we have the Suns first and then the Dockers.



“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t one of them, everything going right.”



The No. 2 draft pick failed to fulfil high expectations which built after an excellent debut season in 2001, playing 20 games and winning the Rising Star award.



The key position forward-ruck was plagued by injury throughout the mid-part of his career but said he was guilty of taking the game too seriously, heaping more pressure on himself.



“Certainly, I suppose, in the middle part of my career I wouldn’t have taken , and it’s hard to say, but I wouldn’t have it so serious and got so wound up about what was going on,” he said.



“I would have tried to enjoy it a bit more.”



The 197cm big man said he would rather have played in a previous era, when the demands weren’t as intense.



“If I had a choice I would have loved to play 10 or 20 years ago when you have a few beers and have a muck around (after the game) and don’t have to think about it (again) until Tuesday night,” he said.



Koschitzke said he would like to stay involved with the club on a corporate level post career.



“It’s a scary transition but I’m also in that stage where I’m frightened not to have it (football in his life). It’s all I know,” he said

Originally published as Watters 'sad' to hear Kosi comments