ST KILDA has been dealt another blow to its key forward stocks ahead of round one with star spearhead Tim Membrey facing a race against the clock to be fit to face Fremantle on March 19.
The 28-year-old has been ruled out of the Saints' practice matches against Melbourne and Essendon at RSEA Park.
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Membrey underwent minor knee surgery on Thursday after injuring his knee at training last week.
With star key forward Max King set to miss at least the first month of the season, last year's mature-age sensation Jack Hayes and untried key forward Matt Allison ruled out for months, the Saints have been hit hard by injuries inside 50 ahead of Ross Lyon's first game back in charge.
Returning assistant coach Robert Harvey is confident Membrey will be available to face the Dockers, despite the late timing of the injury.
"He had minor surgery on his knee yesterday. The reports are all good so we are expecting him to be all good for round one," Harvey told reporters on Friday.
"He's had a full summer, he's barely missed a session, so we’re really happy where he’s at. It is a minor setback, so we’re totally expecting him to be right for round one.”
The Saints signed young key forward Anthony Caminiti last Friday during the pre-season supplemental selection period, following a stunning audition in just his second training session.
Caminiti was impressive again during Friday’s training session that lasted more than three hours in conditions that gradually climbed towards 40C.
St Kilda trialled Dougal Howard in attack during match practice and may look at using the star key defender there to provide another option inside 50 to start the season.
The 26-year-old spent his final season at Port Adelaide playing as a key forward and chose to explore a move to the Saints so he could return to defence, despite having three years to run on his contract at Alberton.
Howard has played 57 games in red, white and black since crossing to the club at the end of 2019, finishing third in the Trevor Barker Award in his first season and eighth in 2021. But with so many talls injured at Moorabbin right now, St Kilda’s vice-captain looks set to be required in attack.
While Rowan Marshall missed the session due to a close friend’s wedding, Seb Ross and Jimmy Webster were managed, Zak Jones is still dealing with a calf complaint, four teenagers stood out at RSEA Park.
Prized pick Mattaes Phillipou, pick No.10 in last year’s NAB AFL Draft, hit the scoreboard with some clever goals playing deep inside 50, as he continues to build a case to be picked in round one.
The first three players the Saints chose at the end of 2021 – Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Mitch Owens and Marcus Windhager – have all benefited from a full pre-season and all look poised to claim a spot against the Dockers.
With Bradley Hill playing on a wing, Wanganeen-Milera has been moved to half-back this pre-season, alongside reigning Trevor Barker Award winner Jack Sinclair. The 19-year-old has taken time to settle into the role, but produced some polished moments on Friday.
Windhager has been one of the standouts on the track across the summer and could be used as tagger under Lyon, like the coach has done in the past with Steven Baker, Clint Jones, Ryan Crowley and Matt de Boer, but clearly has much more to give in the future.
Lyon has settled Owens into a role inside 50 this pre-season where the next generation academy graduate has provided another target in a forward line that is lacking them right now.
It has been an off-season and pre-season full of returning faces at Moorabbin. Nick Dal Santo has been around the club for years in an academy and AFLW capacity, but on Friday he was on the track with former teammates Lenny Hayes, Brendon Goddard and Harvey.
