Blond ambition
St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt attributes his side’s success in the second part of the season to focussing less on results and more on process. But it is the team’s September experience that he expects will see them win through against Hawthorn on Saturday night.
“That’s why I think it’s called experience. If you don’t learn from every situation then it’s a wasted experience,” Riewoldt said ahead of Tuesday’s training session at Moorabbin.
Ball is rolling
Saints coach Ross Lyon has named midfielder Luke Ball as a starter against Hawthorn, with the club saying he has overcome the hamstring injury sustained in round 18.
Jarryd Allen is a casualty from the Saints’ young-blooding and he will miss with a torn hip muscle. But plenty of young-guns remain intact, with six players that have played less than 30 games expected to line up against the Hawks.
Koschitzke has been cleared of engaging in rough conduct against Collingwood’s Shane Wakelin on Saturday night, enabling him to provide a valuable marking target up forward alongside Riewoldt.
Buddy hard job
But the question on everyone’s lips: Who will get the job on Lance Franklin?
Riewoldt backed stalwart Max Hudghton at Sunday’s beach recovery session, citing the defensive duo of Hudghton and Sam Fisher as key to the side’s 34-point win over Collingwood to advance to the preliminaries.
Last time St Kilda met the Hawks in round 16, Hudghton restricted Franklin to three goals and just nine disposals.
Perfectly timed peak
At Telstra Dome that night, the Saints produced an eight-goal third term to run over the top of Hawthorn and keep their finals dream alive.
Riewoldt believes St Kilda might still have its best football ahead of it, with Saturday’s win over the Magpies instilling further belief among Ross Lyon’s players.
While the captain admits past experience will help his team, this week would not be about making amends for lost opportunities. Even at this late stage in the season, a young and focussed St Kilda side would adopt the old adage of taking it one game at a time.
“We’ve had opportunities before and haven’t taken them so it’s not about making up for lost time or seeking revenge or anything like that,” Riewoldt said.
“The case is we’ve got an opportunity this week to keep improving and that’s what our focus has been on all year.”
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
