ST KILDA is confident its new wave of leaders can step up to the plate in the absence of veteran pair Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna in the club's first match without both in more than two years.
The Saints travel to face Port Adelaide on Saturday having rested Riewoldt in a planned break and lost Montagna to a serious hamstring injury that has ended his home-and-away season.
The club has not fielded a team missing both veterans since round five, 2015, but coach Alan Richardson was confident a new group of leaders would stand up in their absence as the Saints look to turn around a horror fortnight of form.
"What it is in the short term is an opportunity for our younger leadership group … those guys can really own the team," Richardson said as the team flew out of Melbourne on Friday.
"There's no doubt that while 'Joey' and 'Roo' stepped aside from official positions they really do have a strong influence on the group.
"It's going to be a great opportunity for our next group of leaders to come through and really lead the way.
"We'll find out (if they're ready) is the reality of the answer, but I think they are."
St Kilda is working through the futures of both Riewoldt and Montagna privately in the final rounds of the season, with no decision yet on whether the pair will play on in 2018.
Richardson said it was possible an announcement on Riewoldt's future would be made before the end of the season, but more time was needed to reach a decision.
The coach said a rest had always been planned for the champion forward, who has kicked one goal in each of his past two games.
"He'd be the first to admit that his last couple of performances have been a little bit below his best and it was time for him to have a spell," Richardson said.
"We'll get him back next week, all going well in terms of the plan, and he'll be better for the break.
"We've just got to make sure we handle [negotiations] with respect and as we've said all along we're looking to make the right call, not a rushed call, and we need a bit of time."
The Saints have lost to Sydney (42 points) and Essendon (61 points) in the past fortnight, dropping from seventh on the ladder to 11th and leaving their finals chances on a knife's edge.
Richardson said the team's biggest challenge was to perform consistently within games and bridge the gap between its best and worst, with no simple fix to their recent woes.
He said young forward Paddy McCartin would be available next week after a strong week of training and positive recent tests as he returns from concussion.
Ruckman Tom Hickey travelled with the team as an emergency, but Richardson said there was no doubt on No.1 big man Billy Longer ahead of a clash with Port's Paddy Ryder.
