Carlisle fighting for his spot

ST KILDA says there is room in its best 22 for uncontracted defender Jake Carlisle as it attempts to cash in on the best depth at the club in many seasons.

The Saints have a clean bill of health and will escalate into full training today after two months off that assistant Aaron Hamill said was the longest review he had ever endured.

With Jade Gresham (PCL) and Ben Long (ankle) fully recovered, St Kilda not only has an entire list to choose from, it has depth across every line. Carlisle was a health scratch in Round 1, victim of some missed sessions leading into that clash as well as unprecedented options in the back six.

Hamill said the club needs to make use of that depth. “The backline alone has 17 in that line group and they are all fit and up and going,” he said.

“We have Carlisle, Josh Battle and Jimmy Webster who didn’t play in Round 1 and then we have got [Nick] Coffield in the wings as well.

“We have got a full complement and the guys we have added help from a maturity point of view.”