Defender Dougal Howard set for surgery after Saints lose Mattaes Phillipou and Rowan Marshall

A few days after losing key men Rowan Marshall and Mattaes Phillipou, St Kilda has confirmed its already-stretched key position stocks will take another hit. So, what’s next?

St Kilda’s already-stretched key position stocks have suffered another blow with Dougal Howard to miss 12 weeks with a shoulder he dislocated at training on Monday.

St Kilda assessed his options after the right shoulder dislocation but, given the likelihood of further issues if he played without going under the knife, decided on a more long-term strategy.

Howard could miss the first eight weeks of the season at a club that allowed Tim Membrey to move to Collingwood, then lost star ruckman Rowan Marshall with a stress fracture in his pelvis.

While Max King will carry the forward line and Cal Wilkie is the marshal in defence, many of the key position spots around them are up for grabs.

Dougal Howard is set for shoulder surgery. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Anthony Caminiti played in defence in patches last year but could be needed alongside fellow key forward Cooper Sharman.

The ever-reliable Zaine Cordy shapes as the club’s second defender as long-kicking tall flanker Arie Arie Schoenmaker and athletic young key back Isaac Keeler try to win spots in the St Kilda side.

With Paddy Dow out long-term with a leg infection and Mattaes Phillipou missing 12 weeks with a stress fracture in his leg, coach Ross Lyon will need to use all of his experience to withstand the early injury crisis.

Football boss David Misson said the club had made the right call on surgery for Howard.

“Dougal will undergo surgery next week to secure the joint,” he said.

“Dougal is now looking at about 12 weeks of rehab, which is a significant period, but one we know he’ll approach with professionalism.

“Doug’s an important leader for our group and we know he’ll continue to be influential in the lead up to the season and throughout the early rounds, despite not being on the field.”

SAINTS SUFFER HUGE DOUBLE BLOW

– Matthew Forrest

St Kilda has been dealt a cruel blow on the eve of practice matches, with Mattaes Phillipou set to miss up to two months of the season with stress fractures.

The 20 year old, who has been widely tipped to break out as a midfielder in 2025, had scans on Monday which revealed the injury to his right femur.

Football manager David Misson said he was set for 10-14 weeks of rehabilitation, which would rule him out until late April-early May.

Mattaes Phillipou will miss the start of the season. Picture: Jack Cahill, St Kilda FC

“This is an extremely disappointing development for Mattaes,” EGM Football David Misson said.

“It was clear he’d taken the lessons he learned last year into his off-season and came back ready to attack 2025.

“Mattaes pulled up a bit sore on Friday, so we monitored his recovery over the weekend. His pain was still present on Monday, so we sent him off for scans that confirmed the diagnosis.

“He’ll be on crutches for the next couple of weeks, then we’re looking at 10-12 weeks of rehabilitation and reloading after that.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but Mattaes’ maturity and commitment is far beyond his years, and we’re sure he’ll tackle this period with the professionalism we’ve come to expect from him.”

Star ruck Rowan Marshall missed match simulation on Friday, opening the door for Harry Boyd to play major ruck minutes.

But while the club said they were managing his load on Friday, Mission said on Tuesday he would be sent for scans this week for a stress fracture in his pelvis.

Rowan Marshall has also been sent for scans. Picture: Jack Cahill.

“Rowan’s going for a CT scan tomorrow to assess the extent of a stress fracture in his pelvis,” Misson said.

“He’s been on modified duties since last week to assist with the management of the injury, but we’ll have a better idea of his recovery after the scan tomorrow.

“We’re hopeful that Rowan will be available for Round 1 or soon thereafter.”

The Saints have initially indicated Marshall will miss five-to-eight weeks, with the club set to play its round 1 game in six weeks time.

He was not the only casualty out of the weekend at St Kilda, with Dougal Howard dislocating his shoulder at training on Monday.

Mission said the club was still waiting on scans to determine the severity of the injury.

“Dougal is going for scans this morning, so we’ll await those results before assigning a return-to-play timeline,” Misson said.

“Recovery from an injury like this can really range from days to weeks, so we won’t speculate until we have that clarity.”

In positive news for the Saints, draftee Alix Tauru continues to build up his running after graduating from a purely-indoors rehabilitation program, hitting the turf on Friday.

He arrived at the club with injury concerns, however the club was aware of the delayed start to his pre-season and still selected the high-potential prospect in the first round of the draft.