St Kilda key forward Max King is on the verge of a long-awaited AFL comeback after a series of injury setbacks, with a meeting later this week set to determine his return date. King, who last played in the AFL two years ago, suffered a hamstring strain in early May during a VFL match.
Coach Ross Lyon Provides Update on King
Speaking on Wednesday, Saints coach Ross Lyon was upbeat about King's progress, though he initially avoided the word "imminent." "I wouldn't use the word 'imminent', but someone did, so that sort-of lit it up," Lyon said. "He has made real ground ... I'm going to have a meeting later in the week, probably Friday, with our high-performance team to get an exact feel on it. But it's imminent."
Lyon also confirmed that ruckman Tom De Koning is back running as he recovers from fractured ribs.
Saints Face Tough Test Against Port Adelaide
Buoyed by an easy win over cellar dwellers Essendon, the Saints will face a much tougher challenge at Marvel Stadium on Saturday when they host Port Adelaide. Lyon highlighted several "big-ticket items" to consider when preparing for the Power, beyond stars like Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis.
"They really squeeze the time and space around the ground - they only allow about 74 uncontested marks. They're in pretty good shape," Lyon said, noting Port's strength as a front-half team, solid stoppage work, and strong ball control. He also mentioned Aliir Aliir as a formidable intercept-marking defender and ruckman Jordan Sweet as another in good form.
St Kilda's Ladder Position and Contract Talks
St Kilda's 7-9 record has them 12th on the ladder with a healthy percentage, a game out of 10th and a wildcard berth. "The ladder doesn't lie. When you're under pressure as a coach, boards always go percentages - if you want to use that indicator - but then ultimately it comes to win-loss, doesn't it?" Lyon said.
Lyon also addressed the contract situation of young gun Darcy Wilson, who is in solid form during a contract season. "We have 44 (players), we like to look after fairly. I don't think everyone's equal, because everyone would get Communism - he'd be getting 150 (thousand)," Lyon said. "We'll work it out and ultimately we have to satisfy him."
