Looking tanned and fit after the Christmas break, Riewoldt was one of the last Saints to get out on to the field at Linen House Oval, prompting a small cheer from the crowd of more than 100 people who had come to get their January footy fix.
He moved well and seemed in no discomfort at all.
It wasn’t the most physically draining session ever seen at Moorabbin, seeming more like a fine tuning of specific roles than an effort to get miles in the legs.
The players split in to three different groups - forwards, midfielders and backmen - for the ball work.
None of the three groups ran too much, the defenders did kicking and handballing drills, the mids practiced stoppage work and the forwards spent much of their time listening to senior coach Ross Lyon.
After about half an hour of ball work, the players took part in an intense 10-minute boxing drill, Riewoldt’s outstanding aerobic fitness standing out.
Jack Steven was an interesting inclusion with the forward group. After playing one senior game in two seasons on the list, Steven has been marked as one Saint that should improve significantly in 2010.
Steven King and Michael Gardiner shared the ruck work with Ben McEvoy and recruit Adam Pattison. At their feet were Brendon Goddard, Farren Ray, Clint Jones, Nick Dal Santo and Brett Peake. Jones in particular looked impressive.
He seems to have bulked up a little and was quite keen to chase his own footy which could be an indication that he is set to move up from his stopping role from last year to a ball-winner.
All eyes were on Irish recruit Tommy Walsh who seems to have adjusted well to playing with an oval ball. While still new to football, he is an imposing sight. His solid build and sharp blond crew cut prompting the nickname ‘Ivan’ after Dolph Lungdren’s character Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.
Notable absentees included recruits Andrew Lovett who has been suspended indefinitely by the club and Jesse Smith who is still recovering from the ankle and hamstring injuries that plagued him at North Melbourne.
Robert Eddy was on the field but only did handball drills as he was wearing a moon boot in his recovery from an injury to his left ankle.
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