RATTEN NOT WORRIED ABOUT RUCK INJURIES
ST Kilda coach Brett Ratten is not in any rush to see a change to the centrebounce format that has struck down two AFL ruckmen with PCL injuries in a week.
The Saints head honcho said he would wait for the season to end before making any long-term decisions on changes.
“I think sometimes injuries come in waves, you’ll get a type of injury that comes a week or two in a row,” Ratten said.
“We haven’t seen PCLs (injuries) for a while.
“We’ll just let the game tell us what it needs by the end of the year, and the league can adjust accordingly.”
The conversation for change was sparked again after Collingwood and Carlton lost rucks Brodie Grundy and Marc Pittonet respectively for several months after suffering PCL injuries from knee-on-knee collisions.
St Kilda has been managing its own midfield injuries, but enters Saturday’s clash with Port Adelaide in Cairns with optimism.
Tall veterans Paddy Ryder and Tom Campbell will bolster the Saints’ centre, with Ratten likening the latter to a fine wine.
“Ruckmen get better with age and for him (at) just 30 years of age – there’s a fair bit of footy left in him,” he said.
“He’s ready to go, he’s been playing good VFL footy so we’ll play him and he’ll help Paddy and get the job done there.”
Fellow midfielders Jack Billings and Zak Jones remained with the Saints’ VFL side in Melbourne.
Ratten said he would ease Jones back into playing after missing extended time both isolating with his partner before catching the virus himself last week.
In more good news for the Saints’ depth, Ratten said Hunter Clarke (concussion) should be cleared to play VFL next week and Jarryn Geary (shoulder) would be taken off restricted minutes.
“That’s pretty pleasing for our list starting to get fairly healthy, touch wood,” Ratten said.
St Kilda has spent most of the week in Cairns in preparation to face the Power at Cazalys Stadium.
Mid Jack Steele said it took a few drills for the boys to get used to the Cairns humidity, but have come off all the better for it to face the Power, who arrived in the city on Friday night.
“It (humidity) certainly hits you in the face,” the 26-year-old said.
“The other night at Cazalys for the first couple of drills – it took a while for us to get going but once we did we got used to it.
“I feel like getting that advantage in doing our main session up here, finishing up before Port arrive.”
Steele said Saturday’s game was a trap the Saints ought to be wary of, with a downtrodden Power side looking to clamber out of the bottom five.