St Kilda track watch: Tim Membrey, Max King set to help reshape forward line as draftee turns heads in time trial

Ross Lyon says Tim Membrey is ‘blossoming’ after the key forward was a late withdrawal from St Kilda’s elimination final in September, and alongside Max King will lift the load on the Saints’ young forward line.

Tim Membrey is “blossoming” with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon excited about the veteran’s progress and what he can bring next season alongside fellow key forward Max King.

Membrey shocked the football world when he was a late withdrawal on the morning of the Saints elimination final against the GWS Giants because of a personal health issue which his coach described at the time as “delicate”.

Three months on and Lyon is glowing about the prospect of having the two forward line pillars at his disposal to ease the workload on the young shoulders of Mitch Owens and Anthony Caminiti.

“He’s in really good shape, he’s blossoming, he feels good and he’s got a lot of support,” Lyon said of Membrey on Wednesday.

“I think that’s the beauty and there’s no stigma. It’s more complicated than it just seems, so we’re thrilled with where he’s at.

“Our two power forwards basically didn’t play (last season) so I think Caminiti and Owens will look forward to playing with them.”

Saints young gun Mitch Owen is expected to have more support this year with Max King and Tim Membrey hoping to be fit for round 1. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Membrey, 29, who played just seven games last season, was managed from the Saints mid-week session but has been a stand-out at the start of pre-season training.

“As you get older you get (a bit of) wear and tear, so he’s managed today but he basically hasn’t missed a session,” Lyon said.

“He’s four kilos lighter and back to his sort of fighting weight, so to speak, with what he’s been in previous years.

“We’re really expecting that he can really deliver and he’s been a real leader here for a long time.”

King, who was restricted to 11 games in 2023, was also on light duties as he recovers from a third round of shoulder surgery in less than 12 months.

“The surgeon was pretty conservative and he didn’t run for seven weeks (post-surgery) but he’s really up and moving now,” Lyon said.

“He’s certainly had no hiccups and if you think about the first session last year he dislocated the shoulder and went in for the (operation) … he’s miles ahead and he’ll be in full training post-Christmas.

“He’s also really stepping up in meetings and he doesn’t say a lot, Max, but when he talks it sort of carries a bit of weight. It’s great to see his leadership growing as well.”

Max Heath on the move during a drill on Wednesday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

CONCUSSION POINT

Lyon has no issue with the recent coroner recommendation to cut the number of full-contact training sessions in the wake of a damning coroner’s report into concussion given he has already done it.

“What I have done over a long period of time and (Denis) Pagan had a big influence, is don’t lose them on the track,” he said. “If there is a spectrum of some clubs who have contact from the start (of pre-season) then I’m down the other end.

“I remember when Hayden Crozier took a speccy on Zac Dawson (at Fremantle), I said get up and run a 400. So I try to avoid it, our coaches push for a little bit more so it’s about trying to find the happy medium.

“We had one big collision last year in the whole of training, Hunter Clarke and Jack Bytel went for a ground ball so you are trying to harness their competitive spirit.

“But as a rule on that spectrum (of contact training), I’m down around one per cent … it’s a delicate topic.”

Jack Steele didn’t take part with the main group at St Kilda’s training session on Wednesday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

RED ALERT

It was easy to figure out who was doing what at RSEA Park on Wednesday with the rehab group in red jumpers and the main training group in blue.

While it was almost a half and half split, Lyon said there was no cause for alarm with a number of players simply being rested from the mid-week session.

Included in the red were Saints captain Jack Steele (ankle), Brad Crouch (knee), Jack Hayes (knee) and Dan Butler (ankle) who are working their way back after postseason surgery and are expected to be in full training by January.

Mason Wood (calf) and Caminiti (hamstring) are also managing niggles.

Tasmanian superboot Arie Schoenmaker has made an impression early down at the Saints after being taken with the second-last pick at last month’s National Draft. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

GETTING NOTICED

The Saints will be all about speed in 2024 with Lyon pleased with what he has seen from recruits Paddy Dow and Liam Henry but there are also two draftees which SuperCoach coaches’ should be across.

First-round pick Darcy Wilson captured the eye in the time-trial taking down reigning champion Marcus Windhager comfortably.

“Wilson has just been blowing the running apart so we expect him to play a fair bit of footy,” Lyon declared.

He also said he was expecting dynamic forward Lance Collard, who the Saints took at pick No. 28, to play senior football early in the season while Tasmanian Arie Schoenmaker, whose booming left-foot was a stand-out in Wednesday’s session, will be in the mix.

There wasn’t quite a streaker on the pitch at St Kilda training on Wednesday, but a friendly dog did make a surprise appearance. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

TIPPING POINT

Don’t ever believe it when coaches and players say they never read the newspapers.

Lyon didn’t miss the early 2024 predictions in the Herald Sun this week where 15 of the 16 experts didn’t select St Kilda to finish in the eight.

Lyon credited chief football writer Mark Robinson as the only pundit to have faith in the Saints’ fortunes for 2024.

He raised the point as he was discussing his team’s expectation next year after they exited in the elimination final this season.

“My expectation is you do the work, focus on action and write your own story,” he said.

James Van Es, Anthony Caminiti, Anthony Caminiti, Max King, and Mitch Owens running laps at St Kilda training. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

SPECIAL MANTRA

Every club has its own secret mantra or catch phrases which they use as inspiration along the journey.

Lyon may have unwittingly revealed the Saints motto when asked about if young gun Mattaes Phillipou would be the next AFL player to receive a mega-year deal.

It seems the master coach is using the club’s premiership drought – they have only won one in their history – as a motivating tool.

“I say build and they will come,” he said. “We are one of the last bastions here of real excitement. There are cups and then there are cups, we are a special cup.

“He (Phillipou) wants to be a great player here and achieve a special cup, they are his words.”

Originally published as St Kilda track watch: Tim Membrey, Max King set to help reshape forward line as draftee turns heads in time trial