JACK Sinclair could be elevated back to St Kilda's senior list as early as this week with the news Tom Curren will likely miss the rest of the season with a fractured fibula.

Sinclair went back to the rookie list before the bye after playing 10 games, with the return of Daniel Markworth and Arryn Siposs from shoulder injuries.

The Saints then elected to retain Adam Schneider as the mid-season nominated rookie last week, but Curren's injury, sustained on Sunday in the VFL, could open the door at senior level for the first-year player once again.

"He'll have surgery today and that will be most of the year," coach Alan Richardson said about Curren on Tuesday.

"He's optimistic and the doctors are optimistic if the VFL were to play finals, he might be in the mix then.

"It's disappointing for Tom. He's been a very popular person at our footy club, he works incredibly hard and he's been in pretty strong form of late.

"There's an opportunity there [to elevate]. Sinclair performed strongly on the weekend.

"[Jason] Holmes has been performing strongly and Ahmed Saad has been in reasonable form.

"It's a pleasant dilemma to have on the back of someone else's misfortune, but that's footy and that's the rookie situation."

Meanwhile, second-year midfielder Blake Acres will miss at least 2-3 weeks after undergoing surgery on a hand injury, also sustained in the VFL.

Paddy McCartin kicked four goals on Sunday in Sandringham's three-point win over Footscray and could come into contention to face Essendon on Sunday, as could fellow key position draftee Hugh Goddard.

Midfielder Daniel McKenzie - who signed a one-year contract extension this week - also catapulted into the selection mix with a strong performance.

Richardson forecast more opportunities for the youngsters in the second half of the season but emphasised that the Saints' selection policy wouldn't change.

"If it's the right thing by the team to bring in a young player, it will be because that young player has earned his position," he said.

"We just can't throw our young blokes in because they're young.

"They need to come in because we think they can play their role and, probably more importantly, they've earned the right to play their role, and a lot of guys are doing that.

"We would be optimistic that some blokes would get some opportunities."

Sam Fisher (back) and Jack Billings (shin soreness) will be monitored this week to see if they're fit to face the Bombers, with Richardson indicating the latter's potential availability could influence what happened with Sinclair.

He said they'd brace for the Bombers' best, despite the continuing turmoil surrounding James Hird that ramped up again on the weekend when Mark Thompson said he believed the coach faced a fight to keep his job.

"They were pretty good for significant parts of that game and fell away late; Hawthorn is a fair team," he said.

"I think we all acknowledge [Hawthorn] is probably still the team to beat.

"The Bombers certainly took it up to them for big parts of the game, so I would think they'd take some positives out of that.

"We'll certainly plan for them to be at their best."