ST KILDA faces the prospect of entering Saturday's clash against Adelaide with only 25 available players and a reduced emergency list.
The Saints already have 11 players missing through injury for the match in Cairns, with Seb Ross and Tim Membrey's return home to Victoria to be with their families taking their confirmed outs to 13.
Max King (back), Mason Wood (hamstring), Darragh Joyce (concussion) and James Frawley (shoulder) all face tests to face the Crows, and if they're deemed not fit to play, will leave 17 of the list of 43 unavailable.
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Mid-season draftee Cooper Sharman, who has played a mix of SANFL seniors and reserves for Woodville-West Torrens this season, has flown in to join the squad in Sydney where they remained after last week's loss to the Swans. Sharman is likely to be included in the Saints' squad against the Crows just days after being selected.
The club's other mid-season signing, 18-year-old Max Heath, remains in Victoria where he is attending Xavier College and is seen as a long-term ruck/forward prospect.
It leaves the Saints facing the possibility of not being able to name a full contingent of four fit emergencies on Saturday, which includes the 23rd man (medical sub).
King will be assessed in coming days for a back injury he suffered during training last week ahead of the match against Sydney and re-aggravated at half-time against the Swans.
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Frawley and Joyce were both unable to prove their fitness last week, while Wood is likely to miss after he was subbed out in the first half with a hamstring complaint.
Last week's emergencies – Tom Highmore (medical sub), Ben Long, Paul Hunter and Jack Lonie – will all come into contention to face the Crows.
Midfielder Jack Bytel is also in the frame for a recall, while Category B ruckman Sam Alabakis and first-year tall Matthew Allison, who are also in Sydney with the squad, round out the availabilities.
The AFL confirmed on Tuesday that the game would go ahead in Cairns, with the Saints ruling out Membrey and Ross given they wouldn't be allowed entry into Queensland having spent this week in Victoria.
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Jarryn Geary will miss with a shoulder injury sustained against the Swans, while Rowan Marshall (foot), Dan McKenzie (calf), Shaun McKernan (toe), Leo Connolly (shin) and Zak Jones (quad) won't be available until at least after the Saints' round 14 bye.
Dan Hannebery (calf), Dean Kent (concussion) remain without a definitive timeline, while Jake Carlisle (back), Jade Gresham (Achilles) and Ben Paton (broken leg) will miss the remainder of the season.