ST KILDA midfielder Marcus Windhager will undergo hamstring surgery this Thursday after aggravating the injury that has kept him sidelined since June. 

The 21-year-old suffered a moderate-grade hamstring strain against Port Adelaide in round 17 and was pushing to return for the final fortnight of the season. 

But after suffering a setback in his rehabilitation, Windhager now requires surgery that will take a few months to fully recover from.

St Kilda is confident the timing of the surgery will provide Windhager with enough time to prepare for the start of pre-season in November.

Windhager broke his hand in a practice match in February for the second pre-season in a row, but made it back for round one, adding 15 appearances in 2024.

Young gun Mattaes Phillipou will need to prove his fitness later in the week ahead of Saturday night's clash against Geelong at Marvel Stadium. 

The South Australian was a late out ahead of Sunday's win over Richmond due to illness.

Two-time Trevor Barker Award winner Seb Ross is running out of time to return this season after suffering a significant calf strain last month. 

The 31-year-old is out-of-contract at the end of the season and facing an uncertain future beyond October, like a number of older players at RSEA Park. 

Ross has been a permanent fixture in the Saints' midfield across the past decade and played 13 of the first 14 games this season, but hasn't played for Ross Lyon since the round 14 loss to Brisbane at the Gabba. 

Inside midfielder Brad Crouch is still exploring solutions for a lingering knee injury that has limited him to one AFL appearance in 2024. 

Crouch was sent back to Sandringham after round one but only lasted a half before being sidelined for a couple of months with the issue. 

The All-Australian, who triggered an extension for 2025 in round one, returned for a month at VFL level mid-season before succumbing to the issue again.