ST KILDA coach Scott Watters has defended the club's decision to select Stephen Milne, saying the veteran forward has a right to pursue his profession. 

 

Milne, who has been charged with four counts of rape, has missed three games and will return for the Saints' clash with Carlton at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

 

Despite receiving approval from the AFL for Milne to resume, the club has been criticised in some quarters for its decision.

 

Asked whether it was appropriate for Milne to play, Watters said Milne and the Saints had responded with sensitivity, acknowledging they have "a broader responsibility to the game".

 

"This is his livelihood and we're incredibly, and have tried to be, as sensitive as possible to what's been a very complex situation," he said on Friday.

 

"We think the club's shown a lot of respect to all parties and will continue to do so. We think Stephen's done the same. But ultimately he has a right to actually pursue his profession. He gets the chance to do that this weekend."

 

Watters said Milne was ready to play, and his teammates were happy to have him back in the team.

 

"He's in a frame of mind where he's looking forward to playing a game of football, so he's been selected in the side," he said. "He's a professional, certainly in the way that he trains and prepares. It really hasn't been anything different.

 

"It's been a very normal preparation from a football point of view. He's ready to play. As we outlined four weeks ago, we were hopeful that he'd be back to play roughly around this time and that's the case … (He'll) get back into his profession, which is good."

 

Earlier, AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said it was right for Milne to play until allegations against him were tested in court.

 

"He's entitled to be judged innocent until proven guilty and on that basis he should be allowed to continue with his craft," Demetriou told ABC Radio in Melbourne on Friday.

 

Watters refused to speculate on the abuse Milne might receive from spectators, but Demetriou expects a mixed response.

He said likely crowd reaction had been discussed by the AFL and some contingencies had been put in place.

"I don't expect you're gonna find people being kind, unkind – you're going to get mixed views," Demetriou said. "I've got to say that Stephen Milne and the St Kilda Football Club are expecting that.

"They're not expecting a red-carpet treatment. They understand that this is a complex issue. There are people who are still outraged about this particular incident and some other people that understand that he's entitled to play football and will welcome him back.

"I'm being pragmatic here. Brutal as it sounds, he will get a mixed response and people are expecting that.

"Hopefully parents or people who are with children can explain the situation and put it into context."

The Saints will also welcome back skipper Nick Riewoldt after resting him for the game against Fremantle in Perth last week. Watters said his chief forward is fresh and energetic.

 

Meanwhile, fellow veteran Justin Koschitzke is no certainty of reaching his 200-game milestone after suffering what his coach described as a three to four-week calf injury.

 

Time is running out for Koschitzke, who sits on 199 games and has slipped to 308th in the Official AFL Player Ratings, and Watters said he would not be "gifted" any games. But he believes Koschitzke will fight back and return to selection calculations.