AFL 2025: St Kilda hopes injection of experience will boost midfield against Gold Coast Suns

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has turned to some experience this week to deliver a stronger showing in the midfield.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is optimistic the injection of experience will rectify his side’s recent midfield deficiency.

Lyon omitted three young Saints – Hugo Garcia, Angus McLennan and Lance Collard – for the match with Gold Coast on Sunday.

Ball-winner Jack Macrae will also miss the match with a punctured lung he sustained during last week’s loss to West Coast.

But the Saints have welcomed back duo Hunter Clark and Zak Jones to counter the Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell inspired Suns.

Lyon says the addition of Clark and Jones offers “more experience around the ball”.

“We’re really thrilled, Hunter Clark has had an abdominal issue pre-Christmas, he’s got back (and) is three games in,” he said.

Zak Jones is a welcome addition for Ross Lyon’s St Kilda. Picture: Mark Stewart

“He’s been a really good player for us and as has Zak Jones – his best is very, very good – and it just gives us a little bit more experience around the ball.

“We need to reward those performances and our midfield is an area we haven’t been on top of our game. In the end we need to reward performances below.”

Garcia has ridden the highs and lows of the AFL across the past month.

The second-year Saint was issued some strong feedback against Brisbane, won a Rising Star nomination against Fremantle and faced the axe this week.

Lyon says sending Garcia back to the VFL is a chance for him to show a bit of flair.

“The narrative was the clip, my narrative was feedback on action,” he said.

“One week you’re coaching, next week you’re sacked – it happens to all of us, it’s the AFL, the AFL is a high-demand industry.

“He’s a young player, second year, lots of footy, sometimes you’ve got to take some pressure off and let them go back (to the VFL) and express themselves.”

Hugo Garcia will play for Sandringham on Sunday. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Lyon hinted at more midfield minutes for Mattaes Phillipou last week but he struggled against the fired-up Eagles.

St Kilda will look to implement him in a similar role to opponent Bailey Humphrey this week.

“Phillipou, we probably threw him to the wolves last week a little bit, and we want to give him a little bit through there, maybe a 50-50 split,” he said.

“We brought him in off no games, off a 14-week rehab because he’s such a great preparer and he’s still running quite well, but that up and down stuff, off the ground, just can be really challenging.

“We need to save him from himself sometimes, like (Bailey) Humphrey for them goes in and out and has an impact, that’s the sort of player we see him as at the moment.”