St Kilda’s Dylan Roberton keen to play in JLT Series matches after recovering from heart scare

It was one of the scariest on-field incidents in recent years but St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton isn’t letting his heart scare — and collapse — stop him from returning to the field and in 2019 as he aims to help the Saints rise back up the ladder.

Dylan Roberton is helped by St Kilda medical staff after collapsing against Geelong last year.

Dylan Roberton will make up for lost time with a full pre-season playing load despite admitting doctors are unsure what caused his dramatic collapse in Geelong last year.

The defensive general took part in match simulation for the Saints on Friday, another positive development after heart issues cut short his 2018 season.

Roberton said his family and friends were more worried about his safety than he was, with the Saints key back having a mini-defibrillator inserted in his heart in case of another episode.

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Roberton wants to play in the club’s official February 23 intra-club match as well as JLT clashes against North Melbourne and Gold Coast, not content to get back to his previous level.

“It’s all good. I’ve been doing everything since Christmas, so full contact and everything so that was the hurdle that was most going to test me out a bit but that’s been fine,’’ he said.

Dylan Roberton is helped by St Kilda medical staff after collapsing against Geelong last year.

“Obviously not having any contact for six months, but two weeks of that now so I’m ready to go.

“They (doctors) still haven’t come down to (the reason for the collapse) which is why they wanted to take all the precautions with the devices and all that sort of stuff so that was the main reasoning for that but they were happy enough with (how I was) responding to medication.”

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Dan Hannebery took part in the match simulation after hamstring issues, but Jake Carlisle is still nursing a sore back.

Saints defensive coach Henry Playfair told the Herald Sun last week the club’s medicos weren’t particularly concerned about Carlisle given his base fitness level after multiple pre-seasons.

Like a player returning from an ACL reconstruction, Roberton is confident enough in his recovery to put the heart issue out of his mind.

Roberton is keen to make his return to football during the JLT Series. Picture: Getty

“I would’ve thought I’d have thought about it more but I was speaking to Richo (coach Alan Richardson) the other day and he asked me if it crosses my mind. To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it since it happened, which is a good thing,” Roberton said.

“There’s no worry from my end. I’m sure my family are a bit more worried than I am. As far as my mental state, I’m ready to go.”

St Kilda plans to play high draft pick Josh Battle in the backline alongside Roberton, Carlisle and Nathan Brown this year with a combination of Jimmy Webster, Shane Savage and Jarryn Geary.

No.4 draft pick Max King, labelled Winx by his teammates because of his smooth-waving ways, is making excellent progress from an ACL tear.

The club’s No.41 draft pick Jack Bytel this week had surgery on a bulging disk in his back to repair an injury he suffered before he arrived at the club.

Originally published as St Kilda’s Dylan Roberton keen to play in JLT Series matches after recovering from heart scare