Expect to see Nick Riewoldt at his gut running best this season, given the champion centre-half forward has stripped five kilograms from his frame in an attempt to continue to evolve in the latter stages of his decorated career.
St Kilda Senior Coach Alan Richardson revealed to the media on Tuesday that the six-time Trevor Barker Award winner has boosted his aerobic tank during the summer months, particularly during a period where he spent an extended spell in Texas.
“Rooey’s lost about five kilos. His running is incredibly strong at the minute,” Richardson said at a press conference at Linen House Centre.
“He had a different preparation given the challenging year he had last year; we gave him some time away.
“He clearly had to prep for the Australia game against Ireland – he was in really good shape there. But he’s come back in really good shape. That’s exciting for him.
“Whether it is he plays forward or a bit in the midfield, and the plan is for him to do a bit of both, we still need him as a forward.
“He’s a really impressive player in front of the ball and important for us. But we think he can help us in both those parts of the ground.”
NAB Challenge 2: Riewoldt, Montagna set for Mackay
Whilst it appears likely Riewoldt will spend more time in the midfield this season as the Saints continue their evolution under Richardson, the St Kilda coach said the amount of time his captain spends in there will depend on the situation.
The emergence of 2014 No. 1 pick Paddy McCartin and whether or not the Saints play two ruckmen in the same side will play a decisive role in how far up the ground Riewoldt roams this year.
“It depends on the situation in the game and it also depends on who’s playing. So right now with Paddy [McCartin] not playing this week, then it may mean that Nick needs to play a bit more time in front of the ball,” Richardson said.
“It depends on if we play two rucks and the influence the ruck who’s not playing ruck, how he’s going forward.
“So there’s some situations that will determine how often he plays where. But philosophically, we want to play him a bit more in the midfield.”
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