ST KILDA midfielder David Armitage says he is rejuvenated and ready to step into a much deeper engine room when he returns this season after putting an injury-ravaged 2017 behind him.
Armitage played just two senior games last season – and one in the VFL – undergoing multiple bouts of surgery to try and repair a groin issue before his year was cut short and a period of rest was prescribed.
That rest has worked wonders for the 29-year-old, who will bolster a midfield group that the Saints hope will run deeper than it has in recent years and keep opponents guessing.
"I had eight weeks off doing nothing for treatment and it seemed to mend me and [the injury] settled down, which is fantastic," Armitage said as the Saints took their training camp to Ocean Grove on Victoria's Surf Coast on Thursday.
"I've pretty much done a full pre-season, and so far so good. It's holding up really good (and) I feel rejuvenated.
"As a midfield group we've spoken about having a lot more flexibility (and) to get a bit of movement through our midfield to go out to a wing or go to half-forward.
"I feel like we've got huge depth in there … Luke Dunstan, Seb Ross obviously won the best and fairest, Jack Steven, Koby Stevens, Jack Steele – the list goes on, even some of our half-forwards."
The Saints have used this week's camp to complete an intense block of training, but it has also provided a chance for team-bonding activities, and the players were given surfing lessons on Thursday morning.
Armitage said recent premiership teams had shown that having a close-knit team was becoming a critical ingredient in success and the Saints had made it a focus this summer.
"To get away and just bond with all the guys outside your comfort zone is really good and it forges that bond and hopefully we can bring that onto the field," he said.
"People talk about these premiership windows ... but it's more the closeness of the group and the more a group can bond and jell and play for each other that seems to be the way to go these days.
"The more time you can spend together and the closer you get and the relationships you forge, it can only come out on the field."
The Saints are also using this week's camp to finalise their leadership group, with Armitage expecting Jarryn Geary to retain the captaincy in 2018 after taking the reins from Nick Riewoldt last year.
The leadership group last year included Armitage, Seb Ross, Jack Newnes, Jack Steven, Mav Weller, Dylan Roberton and Josh Bruce.
"We haven't formalised our leadership group this year, but there's certainly a lot of guys who are going to put their hands up and for those third- and fourth-year guys, it's their time to step up now and really own this club," Armitage said.
"It'll be brilliant to see that and we have already this pre-season.
"I would expect Jarryn to be captain again. He does a great job, he's a very caring person, and he leads by example. That's what you want from your captain.
"He was terrific last year and I expect him to go on this year."
