Veteran AFL midfielder Dan Hannebery has undergone surgery on his troublesome calf but St Kilda has some good news on the injury front with Paddy Ryder named to face Richmond on Sunday.
Injury-plagued Hannebery, who was restricted to eight games or less in each of the previous three seasons, will miss six to eight weeks after the injury setback last Saturday.
But the Saints are hopeful that going under the knife will allow the 31-year-old to finally be free of the soft-tissue problem.
"It's frustrating for Dan as he's worked so hard," said St Kilda coach Brett Ratten on Thursday.
"It hasn't been the same injury all of the time.
"But I think this will maybe allow him to overcome the calf injuries that he's had and hopefully it's a clean slate for him when he gets back.
"Hopefully it's six weeks and then he's playing the latter part of the year and having an influence on games which we know he can do."
Ryder looms as a big in for the Saints, who have chalked up a loss and a win to open the season, with the 34-year-old doing enough in the VFL on Sunday to signal he was ready to return.
The star ruckman hadn't played in the AFL since round 19 last year and had an interrupted 2021 due to an Achilles injury.
Ratten said Ryder was "pretty likely" unless he pulled up sore from their Thursday training session.
Fellow ruckman Jack Hayes was named on an extended bench for the Sunday game.
With the Tigers baring their teeth against GWS and having Jack Riewoldt and Dylan Grimes returning at Marvel Stadium, Ratten was happy to be able to call on Ryder.
"I think it does," he said when asked if it made the Saints walk taller with the veteran in the line-up.
"With Ryder and (Rowan) Marshall and maybe even Jack Hayes in the team, it will give our team some confidence around the ball which will be great."
Former skipper Jarryn Geary will have more minutes in VFL as he returns from a broken leg and then shoulder reconstruction.
The coach was contemplating playing Ryder, Rowan Marshall and Jack Hayes, who has proved a revelation since making his debut as a 25-year-old this year.
He said while centre bounce clearances were having a huge impact on scoring this season, playing three talls could also detract from the Saints' strength at ground level.
"Let's look at centre bounces ... Richmond kicked 7-1 from centre bounces and Collingwood kicked 5-2 against us from centre bounces so it's having a huge say," Ratten said.
"You have to get that aspect of your game right inside and outside the square to make sure you deny the opposition scoring opportunities.
"We're number two for ground balls inside 50 and I think number two for pressure inside 50 so that's the conversation for us - if we go too tall do we maintain that."
