NEW ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon is set to have a near-full list on the track across the first block of pre-season, but defender Josh Battle is facing a delayed start after off-season ankle surgery.
The 24-year-old went under the knife following a career-best season in 2022, where he finished 10th in the Trevor Barker Award following a permanent move down back.
Battle will follow a modified training program before Christmas under the watch of new high performance boss David Misson and Nick Walsh, but is expected to transition back into full training in January.
The Victorian, who inked a two-year contract extension in August, has been completing his rehabilitation program inside RSEA Park in recent weeks, completing a conditioning program that will ensure he doesn’t fall far behind.
Star midfielder-forward Jade Gresham will also spend the first part of the pre-season on lighter duties after suffering a season-ending knee injury in July.
The 25-year-old underwent surgery to repair a medial meniscal tear in round 19, but isn't considered in doubt for round one and will return to full training in the new year.
After two injury plagued seasons in 2020 and 2021, Gresham was one of St Kilda’s best players in the first half of 2022 before another serious injury stalled his progress.
Nick Coffield is closing in on a return to full training after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during a pre-season training camp in February.
The former top-10 pick missed the entire season after the incident in February and has gradually built up his running program over recent months.
Jack Hayes is also on the comeback trail from a knee reconstruction after the pre-season supplemental selection period signing tore his ACL against Greater Western Sydney in April.
The 25-year-old rookie caught the imagination of the competition when he kicked three goals and took 10 marks in an eye-catching debut against Collingwood in round one, weeks after being signed by the Saints after being overlooked for years despite dominant form in the SANFL.
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Both Coffield and Hayes are expected to transition back into the main group in the early stages of 2023 after long recovery periods.
Jack Billings is still some time off returning to full fitness after undergoing back surgery in September to solve a problem that curtailed his 2022 campaign.
The 27-year-old was restricted to just eight senior games this year due to hamstring and back issues.
Billings underwent surgery in the weeks after the Saints missed out on September to correct a disc protrusion.
It will mean the wingman will be forced to train away from the main group in the first half of the summer, but there is a confidence Billings will be available for selection by round one.
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Lyon will get to work next Monday when the Saints’ first to fourth-year players report for pre-season training at RSEA Park.
Like many clubs across the competition, a large group of senior players have been completing their off-season program at the club, with most expected to train with the younger players from next week.
The football department in Moorabbin has undergone a dramatic renovation since Brett Ratten was sacked as senior coach last month.
Lyon returned to the Saints for a second stint 11 years after departing for Fremantle.
St Kilda games record holder Robert Harvey has also returned as an assistant coach, while two-time All-Australian Brendon Goddard returns to a role in club land as a development coach, months after favourite son Lenny Hayes signed with the club as midfield coach.
