There could be a new Saints forward streaming out of the square in a little over two months’ time. It’s not Max King, it’s not Tim Membrey or Cooper Sharman, but a somewhat unexpected option in Mitch Owens.
Deceptively tall at 191cm and tipping over 90kg on the scales, the promising Saint has been earmarked for more time inside the arc as his post-Christmas training load takes on that of a close-to-permanent forward.
Owens rolled through the attacking half across his seven senior games in 2022 and appearances for both the Sandringham Zebras and Dragons, but is in line to assume more of a key role in the absences of Max King (shoulder) and Jack Hayes (foot).
Originally training one day a week as a forward under the tutelage of Head of Development and Learning Damian Carroll following King’s injury, Owens has spent the ensuing match simulations deep in attack – often matching up on Josh Battle or Dougal Howard – as the first round of practice matches draw closer.
“I’m loving it. Working with Banga (Robert Harvey) and the other forwards – Membrey, Sharman, Butler – it’s been good to learn from them,” Owens told saints.com.au.
“I’ve definitely done a lot more training up forward and got more time and experience there, but I’m still doing stuff with the mids as well.
“There are elements that are a bit similar from the midfield to the forward-line craft in terms of contest, stoppages and pushing off opponents. There are still a few differences to it, but I’m just learning to use my body now as a forward.”
Owens’ natural strength lends itself well to a role inside-50 and even further up the ground. From the early days of his maiden pre-season, the robust teenager was giving St Kilda’s established midfielders in Jack Steele and Seb Ross trouble at match simulation drills through his bodywork and aggression.
Instead of being shielded in his draft year from the bigger, more mature bodies around him, Owens was attacking contest after contest to eventually earn himself a Round 1 debut against Collingwood.
His frame has been further reinforced in anticipation of more time in the senior side, spending the off-season with Marcus Windhager and Physical Preparation Manager Tom Laumets – who Owens and Windhager worked with during their time at the Next Generation Academy – in the gym to prepare themselves for the season ahead.
With the physical attributes down-pat, Owens’ focus has turned to combining his midfield skillset into those required of a forward with help from line coach Robert Harvey.
“I’ve been doing a lot of vision with Banga and it’s something I’ve never really done from a forward line perspective,” Owens said.
“It’s a lot different to midfield (running). At times I was probably getting a bit confused between the mid and forward running patterns, but I’m starting to get the hang of it now.”
St Kilda’s upcoming practice matches throughout February and March will be the perfect trial to see how the 19-year-old operates in the reshuffled forward line.
His aerial presence as one of the Saints’ deeper forwards has been apparent in the first few weeks of pre-season, helping make up for the lesser height inside-50 as a result of King and Hayes’ unavailability.
Perhaps surprisingly, there’s only two centimetres separating Cooper Sharman – the tallest recognised forward at present at 193cm – and Owens, with long-time spearhead Tim Membrey still being the focal point in attack despite being considered undersized for a key forward at 188cm.
While Mason Wood and Rowan Marshall could also provide that added height advantage, the chance for Owens to take his conduit role to make up for key injuries and turn it into an established position is there for the taking.
“There’s definitely an opportunity there,” Owens said.
“Hopefully I can lift my game up and fill in that spot that the team needs.”
