ST KILDA speedster Zak Jones is expected to be available for next week's crucial clash with Brisbane, although coach Brett Ratten and the Saints remain unsure where the game will be played.
The Saints moved to 11th on the ladder and within two points of the top eight after beating Collingwood by nine points on Sunday in a contest that saw them concede five goals to none in the final term which Ratten said left a "sour taste" after the victory.
They face a crucial three weeks in their quest for a late charge at the finals, with games scheduled against Brisbane (away), Port Adelaide (home) and West Coast (away) likely to decide their slim chances.
The club will weigh up whether to bring back Jones from his quad strain straight into the AFL side or through the VFL, although Ratten is unclear when and where the game will be staged.
"We're not sure yet, we're still waiting. We'll just sit back and see what happens," he said post-game.
"Every day with the restrictions and red zones and all of that we'll just wait and see. We know we've got Brisbane, we just don't know where.
"It will be at the Gabba or maybe at the MCG or maybe even Marvel Stadium. It's still up in the air so we'll just wait and see."
The Lions, who had a group of players at the game on Sunday watching the Saints overcome the Magpies, are expecting to head back to Queensland early this week.
Ratten praised ruckman Paddy Ryder for his game after a tough personal week that saw him attend the funeral of a relative in Western Australia and then return to face the Magpies at the MCG.
MAGPIES v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats
"For Paddy to take off on Thursday and then land around six o'clock last night in Melbourne to pay his respects to his uncle who he loved dearly and be around his mum and dad I think is really important and he said he needed to do it and wanted to do it," Ratten said.
"We helped and supported him there and it's a credit to him. He wanted to get back and play as well and to kick two goals and do the work that he does in the ruck was pretty important."
Collingwood managed just one goal in the first half of Sunday's clash and kicked its second 20 minutes into the third term before its flurry of majors in the final term saw it nearly overrun the Saints.
Interim senior coach Robert Harvey said it was important his side didn't limp to the line with the end of the season in sight, with the flat three quarters against the Saints coming a fortnight after they beat then ladder leaders Melbourne.
"We've got seven games to go and we've got to get as much as we can out of these seven games. It's seven games of guys' careers that we don't want to waste so in the end we'll be asking a lot of questions during the week because it's important that we turn up," Harvey said.
"It does prove that we can do it at times and we can score heavily on the back of it, so we'll be asking those questions and hopefully we can sort that out. I think we've got the group to do that."
