The main piece of St Kilda’s chessboard could be back on the board as soon as next week, with Max King officially returning to full training this morning following an extended patch on the sidelines.
A serious shoulder and then hamstring setback rubbed King out for the opening months of the season, headlining the now-depleting injury list which hit the Saints’ forward contingent hardest.
The next line has delivered with the offensive of Mitch Owens, Zaine Cordy and Anthony Caminiti filling the key posts in King’s absence, but the Saints remain optimistic in regaining their leading man in time for Round 9 against Adelaide.
“He’s done work than Tim Membrey did before he came back, so he’s in full-training, full-contact – not that we do a lot of that – but they’ll manufacture something at the end of this session and on Friday," Lyon said at this morning's press conference.
“It’s a case of jump all the hurdles and get to match committee and discuss, but how exciting for the club. He’s got a lot to add to us obviously which we can all see, and hopefully he can buy into our system and can add to it.
“You can see what (Tom) Hawkins is doing, (as well as) the other power forwards in the comp, and we’d like to think he sits in that bracket.”
The Saints will regain first-year forward Anthony Caminiti from suspension in time for Round 9, while Jimmy Webster (fractured cheekbone) and Zak Jones (Achilles) are closing in on returns to their respective domains.
It will be some time before last year’s mature-age sensation Jack Hayes makes himself available for selection, however.
A hamstring tendon injury over the weekend will rule Hayes out for at least eight weeks, adding to a luckless injury run which has entailed a ruptured ACL and broken foot in the space of 12 months.
“These things happen unfortunately. I spoke to (Jack) this morning and he’s still quite optimistic,” Lyon said.
“He’s had a rough run with ACL and a significant fracture in his foot, and then he’s gone and done this. I try to stay out of rehab, but we’re working to get better.”
While all the focus has been shifted towards St Kilda’s Round 9 encounter against Adelaide, Lyon and the Saints aren’t falling into the trap of looking ahead too early as this week’s clash against North Melbourne looms.
Despite the Roos coming off a 90-point defeat at the hands of Melbourne last Saturday, that result counts for nought in Lyon’s eyes, who won’t let any complacency creep into the Saints’ game as they look to maintain their foothold in the top-four.
“The fundamental mantra is the last result doesn’t count for the next, otherwise we wouldn’t have a season and the results would be pre-determined,” Lyon said.
“We expect a fierce response (from North Melbourne). They’ve got a fierce coach. They shouldn’t be any more fired up than us to play our best football.
“We’ve only won one out of our last three, and admittedly they have been close, but we need to fix our forward-50 efficiency.
“The edge is on, the fire is in the belly and we’re all chasing the best team in the comp, Geelong.”
