ST KILDA defender Matt Maguire will attempt to restart a luckless career when he lines up against the Brisbane Lions at Gold Coast Stadium on Saturday night.

Coach Ross Lyon has picked injury-plagued Maguire to play his first competitive match in 10 months, following a trouble-free return from a foot problem in last week's intra-club scratch match.

Maguire played all four 10-minute quarters last week to continue his return from a string of injuries that began with a broken leg against West Coast in round 18, 2006.

He has played just 14 senior games since and that injury was also a savage blow to St Kilda, with its defence worse for his absence.

Last year's return from stress fractures in his foot lasted just four weeks, leaving the Warrnambool product stranded on 99 matches.

But Lyon has given the best indication yet that Maguire's 100th game shouldn't be much further away.

"He'll play a part this year," Lyon said on Wednesday. "How big a part none of us know and Matt doesn't know but he'll play a part.

"And it starts [now] for him to kick-start his career again."

Lyon admitted the 24-year-old could conceivably start against the Sydney Swans at Telstra Dome in round one but indicated he needed to do more than just negotiate the pre-season.

"We're all right behind him but ultimately he's got to earn his spot in the team," he said. "It's up to him and his body and preparation and form.

"He really becomes one of the pack and he has to emerge out of the pack with form and fitness.

"He's been an incredible loss over the last few years ... the back six hasn't been quite the same.

"He was one of the premier centre half-backs in the competition."

Lyon praised Maguire's ability to remain upbeat despite the setbacks.

"He's an extrovert and he's quite bubbly and I'm sure he's had his moments behind closed doors," he said. "But he's bounced in and it's finally started to turn for him."

St Kilda will field a predominantly young team against the Lions and one man keen to impress is Irish defender Colm Begley, who was cut by new Lions coach Michael Voss but thrown a lifeline by the Saints in November's NAB AFL Draft.

"He's had a football heart attack basically. His career was over, so he's got an opportunity," Lyon said.