AFL 2024: Three games in 11 days can’t be used as an excuse for spotlight hungry Saints

St Kilda is counting the cost of a packed early-season schedule which has left the injury-ravaged Saints with an uphill battle to turn their campaign around.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 18: Ross Lyon, Senior Coach of the Saints looks on after the Saints were defeated by the Bulldogs during the round six AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, on April 18, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

St Kilda will hand valuable game time to Paddy Dow and Jimmy Webster in a Saturday intra-club clash as Dan Butler was ruled out for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

An exhausted St Kilda side put in one of its worst performances in Ross Lyon’s second tenure at the club in a 60-point defeat that flattered the Saints.

Butler tore his right hamstring after coming on as the sub for Zak Jones and will miss 4-6 weeks with a medium grade sprain.

At least he could not complain about the toll of the most recent weeks but the club believed the five-day break leading into round 2 contributed to Liam Henry’s hamstring strain.

The club had three games in 11 days and was subjected to its second five-day break within six rounds.

It was a tough night for the Saints. Picture: Getty Images

Lyon made clear the demands of the game on a young list were a factor, but clubs will have to get used to short turnarounds as part of the new broadcast rights deal.

With the AFL to schedule 15 Thursday night games in a row next year, clubs can be handed three five-day breaks across any given season.

Clubs must have a minimum six-day break on either side of the five-day break and play an opponent which has had a maximum six-day break.

Clubs travelling out of Perth or travelling two weeks in a row cannot be handed a five-day break.

But clubs like St Kilda keen for the prime time spotlight _ with home Thursday clashes against the Pies and Dogs _ will have to find way to keep lists fresh for short turnarounds.

St Kilda also has eight of its last nine games at Marvel Stadium with only one Adelaide Oval game in that part of the fixture.

They hope to get good news on Max King’s knee injury which would allow him to take on Port Adelaide next Friday night at Adelaide Oval.

Dow has been out since the pre-season with a knee injury the club at one stage feared might be an ACL tear, while Webster is only eligible in round 8 after a seven-week suspension.

They will play in the intra-club game along with Dougal Howard in his second game back from a hamstring tear and Lance Collard cleared of issues after a tight hamstring earlier in the week.

Inside mid Dow is more likely to need a full VFL game the following week to push his selection chances, while Webster is available against North Melbourne in round 8.

It would pit him against Alastair Clarkson, handed a suspended fine for his obscenity-laden rant against Webster after his high hit on Roos co-captain Jy Simpkin.

But the Saints will have to assess their defensive mix after the Power game to assess whether Webster slots straight back into the AFL side.

St Kilda is expected to welcome Max King back into the side against Port Adelaide next week. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Lyon will have eight days to get up his charges to arrest a 2-4 start to the season.

“Our trend, if you look at the group over 30 games, we haven’t had one performance like that. We were a little bit worried coming here. The demands of the game, and I don’t want to use excuses, but I certainly was cautious. I’d flagged in the pre-game interview that it was our second four-day prep,” he said.

“Our accumulative load for our experience and our youth, the physiological demand is extreme. That was the worry.

“I don’t want to make excuses, because I want to give credit to the Bulldogs, but certainly with my group there was no angst after the game.

“But we’ve got to prove it’s an aberration and that there were a lot of mitigating circumstances that really challenged us. We’ll look to respond, we’ll lick our wounds. I really feel for our fans and our members because all they see is the performance, and ultimately that’s all we’re judged on.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Three games in 11 days can’t be used as an excuse for spotlight hungry Saints