AFTER being called on to plug holes in a desperately undersized backline last season, St Kilda utility Rhys Stanley is looking forward to playing a more natural forward/ruck role in 2014.
Stanley spent periods of last season as the Saints' best match-up against tall forwards, particularly when injuries to Sam Fisher and Sam Gilbert struck.
However, the club traded to replenish its key defensive stocks in the off-season and the 23-year-old is poised to return to the forward line where his versatility, height and athleticism are best utilised.
"Playing back was a little bit unnatural for me, but it's what we needed as a club and the role I needed to play," Stanley said on Wednesday at the Saints' Australia Post Community Camp on the Mornington Peninsula.
"My natural game would probably be to play forward and be able to run around down there.
"This pre-season I've spent a lot of time with Darren Jolly doing a lot of ruck stuff, and spending a fair bit of time forward with Aaron Hamill.
"I'm really excited about the year ahead and looking forward to playing in those roles."
With Josh Bruce and Luke Delaney joining the Saints from Greater Western Sydney and North Melbourne respectively, the club has reinforced its backline.
However, by trading ruckman Ben McEvoy to Hawthorn, St Kilda will enter the season with leading big men Tom Hickey (24 games) and Billy Longer (nine) both inexperienced in the role.
Stanley said he had been working closely with the club's young ruckman and the group was aiming to accelerate its development.
"We've got an American recruit, Jason Holmes, who has stepped in and is learning really quickly," he said.
"Billy Longer's come down from Brisbane, he's a big bulk of a bloke and he's been throwing his weight around.
"And having Darren Jolly there, the four of us have been doing a lot of work on our maturity in the ruck.
"We're a young group, so we're trying to develop our games as quick as possible."
