Training Saints preseason 2026

[aussierulesrules]

I’d rather play Keeler than an underdone Max on reduced minutes.

Max when he’s not at his best isn’t really an asset, so Keeler ought to be able to do about as much as him up forward, while also being a backup ruck option, if required. And he’d benefit from the experience.

No need to do anything silly here.

 

[stavro#4]

I’d rather play Keeler than an underdone Max on reduced minutes.

Max when he’s not at his best isn’t really an asset, so Keeler ought to be able to do about as much as him up forward, while also being a backup ruck option, if required. And he’d benefit from the experience.

No need to do anything silly here.

I’d argue silly would be letting him find fitness on suburban football grounds against suburban footballers looking to make a name for themselves - just like last time.

 

[topbillings]

The Saints had tried to repair the area in multiple surgeries last season but have removed the tissue causing the problems in the latest procedure.

The full forward is optimistic he is finally over his knee setbacks following the change in approach towards the knee pain and limitations which have plagued him over the past 12 months.

...Now where have I heard that before?




He's fine until he's not. I'm not choosing to get optimistic until I see him running onto the field in the Number 12. And maybe not even then.

Matt Maguire once broke his foot running through the banner.

 

[saintmike65]

If Pou and Wilson happen to have breakout years this year and Nas continues his trajectory, that alone could significantly transform our side.

Pou was so far off his best in those 7 games he played last year it wasn’t funny, so if he gets through the preseason unscathed, he’s virtually a brand new recruit, along with the 4 blokes we brought in.

And same with Henry. He likewise was a shadow of his former self in his 6 games. So if he’s back at or near full fitness, he’s like another new recruit.

Dow another, and Carroll isn’t far off, as he too had an interrupted preseason last year, and then more momentum-interrupting injuries from there.

Then two of our best 3 players going into last year (Sincs and Roma) also went into the season significantly underdone, and had less influential years as a result (especially Ro), but they seem to have done the whole thing this time around (touch wood!).

Then you’ve got 3 of our tall kids who are likely to be better for another preseason, in Caminiti, Keeler and Tauru (two of whom also missed much of last preseason), so they could be a lot more ready to play against the big boys this year.

There’s just so much scope for obvious improvement all over the ground.

Probably the biggest query is who replaces Webster, as that’s not an easy role to play.

Agree with all of that..
Mitch Cleary asked me at training last week how i thought we'd go this season..my reply was i think the 4 traded in players will naturally improve us but it's the 2 to 4 year players that I'm bullish about!

 

[CursingFijian]

I dare you to watch speedy Garcia's chase down tackle on Max Holmes in 2024 and tell me this kid won't find a way to make it as a player in the league. I am biased, like we all are, but his future shouldn't be in question.

You can see his junior athletic pedigree shining through...hates being in second place and backs himself to catch an opponent in a foot race.

I love his feisty side. He stands up for himself and his teammates.

 

[Ads734]

ahhh k so it sounds like he did just have his knee cleaned up. Either a menscectomy or cleaning up some other cartridge.

It’s interesting they didn’t just try and clean it up originally. My understanding is the cartridge/meniscus repairs are not great have a relatively lower expected possitive outcome. Regardless. Happy to see him starting to move.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I don’t remember anything of watching Flanders when he was playing on ball for Gold Coast, but I looked back at his individual games of 2024 (before his back injury that saw him play mostly forward last year), and he started that season on the ball a fair bit, for the first 3 weeks, before being moved out of there (presumably to the wing or HBF) for about 6 weeks, and then was moved back on ball for a stretch, with some much higher CBA’s, before playing elsewhere the last 3.

Here are the numbers for the games where he attended at least 6 CBA’s:

OR:
CBA’s- 15
26 Disposals (9 cont), 7 score involvements, 7 inside-50’s, 2 clearances, 92 ranking points.

R1:
CBA’s- 10
35 disposals (11 contested), 3 clearances, 540m-gained, 119 ranking points (eq 2nd)

R2:
CBA’s- 12
26 disposals (12 contested), 5 clearances, 1 goal, 87 ranking points

R8:
CBA’s- 8
30 disposals (11 contested), 5 clearances, 495m-gained, 104 ranking points

R15-
CBA’s- 6
33 disposals (11 contested), 4 clearances, 111 ranking points (3rd)

R16 v Collingwood
CBA’s- 27
33 disposals (15 contested), 8 score involvements, 6 clearances, 1 goal, 104 ranking points (5th)

R17
CBA’s- 18
27 disposals (10 contested), 6 clearances, 1 goal, 87 ranking points

R18:
CBA’s- 24
30 disposals (8 contested), 11 score involvements, 4 clearances, 1 goal, 95 ranking points 2 Brownlow votes

R19 v GWS
CBA’s- 20
43 disposals (11 contested), 9 clearances, 555m-gained, 137 ranking points (2nd) 2 Brownlow votes

R20 v Bris
CBA’s- 22
33 disposals (16 contested), 7 clearances, 1 goal, 113 ranking points (5th, 1st for GC), 1 Brownlow vote

R21 v WCE
CBA’s- 23
25 disposals (@88%, 7 contested), 3 clearances, 73 ranking points

Next/last 3 games

29 disposals 2 goals 2 Brownlow votes
28 disposals 2 goals
22 disposals 2 goals

Other games

42 disposals 2 Brownlow votes
37 disposals
34 disposals
34 disposals
33 disposals 3 Brownlow votes

He ended up with the most disposals in a season in Gold Coast’s history, so more than Gaz Jnr ever had.

Plus 12 Brownlow votes (including votes 3 times in losing teams- 2,2 and 1) and 44 coaches votes. At 23yo.

And there are peeps on the main board who reckon he won’t improve us and that he’s a “dud”!

The bloke can find some serious pill when he’s played in the right spots and fully fit!

 

[SainterinSydney]

St Kilda is certain to unleash prized Carlton recruits Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni in the club’s Opening Round blockbuster against Collingwood.

The former Blues began the new year under an injury cloud, but De Koning dispelled any doubts over his fitness sparkling in match simulation as part of a gruelling two-hour session in Maroochydore on Monday.

It means the ace big man will be available to lead the new-look ruck division alongside Rowan Marshall in both of the club’s preseason games against Gold Coast and Essendon next month.

TDK will be out there when the Saints open their season.
TDK will be out there when the Saints open their season.
Silvagni is also on track to re-join main training next month and take on the Magpies on Sunday, March 8 after stepping up his recovery with a 12km running and kicking session on the club’s preseason camp on Monday.

And in a surprise, spearhead Max King also remains in the frame to make a return from his knee nightmare in the early rounds as the club weighs up whether to use him in a restricted role off the bench.

The move to scrap the substitute and increase the interchange bench to five men this year means the Saints are considering using King early in the season deep forward with a minutes limit.

King ran at about half-pace on Monday as part of a two-hour work-out following recent surgery to remove the troublesome meniscus which wiped out his 2025 season.

The Saints had tried to repair the area in multiple surgeries last season but have removed the tissue causing the problems in the latest procedure.

The full forward is optimistic he is finally over his knee setbacks following the change in approach towards the knee pain and limitations which have plagued him over the past 12 months.

The big man, who has not played since round 17, 2024, remains hopeful of pressing to play against the Magpies in round zero after pulling up well from recent work-outs including Monday’s heavy session in hot conditions.

The Saints will be cautious with one of their most important assets but are open to deploying him as the fifth man on the bench early in the season if his recovery remains on track next month.

Max King is recovering well. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Max King is recovering well. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
The extended bench will give clubs capacity to play some returning stars including King for as little as 50 per cent of game time after the call to scrap the sub for 2026.

King’s return alongside the addition of De Koning and Silvagni will provide a huge aerial boost to the spine in 2026 as the Saints aggressively plot a return to finals this year following last year’s trade raid.

And the club is hoping to start the season with a near fully-available list with veteran utility Mason Wood and key backman Dougal Howard also set to return from minor calf niggles in coming weeks.

The Saints, who saved millions of dollars in the salary cap while they hit the draft in recent years, also bolstered the engine room landing Gold Coast ballwinner Sam Flanders and West Coast premiership forward Liam Ryan.

Flanders is tipped to spend considerable time in the engine room this season next to re-signed superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Mattaes Phillipou in place of former captain Jack Steele who was traded to Melbourne last year.

Wanganeen-Milera was a stand-out in match simulation with his brilliant line breaking run and skill out of the middle on Monday.

The South Australian turned down bumper offers to head home when he re-signed a $2 million-a-year deal at St Kilda and looks set to become one of the top players in the game this year.

Gun defender Callum Wilkie, who is tipped to become the new captain, also one of the best along with strong-bodied forward Mitch Owens in the match play.

 

[stavro#4]

ahhh k so it sounds like he did just have his knee cleaned up. Either a menscectomy or cleaning up some other cartridge.

It’s interesting they didn’t just try and clean it up originally. My understanding is the cartridge/meniscus repairs are not great have a relatively lower expected possitive outcome. Regardless. Happy to see him starting to move.

Longer term if a full repair can be completed in a meniscus. It’s significantly better for the persons long term health.

They however have a small likelihood of succeeding.

It sounds like the medicos wanted a crack at it. Ross sounded like it should have been the snip and ready to go in a month from that interview he did pre Christmas as he constantly referred to himself and the club aligned but on that matter he said the club made a decision not a “we”

 

[Ads734]

Longer term if a full repair can be completed in a meniscus. It’s significantly better for the persons long term health.

They however have a small likelihood of succeeding.

It sounds like the medicos wanted a crack at it. Ross sounded like it should have been the snip and ready to go in a month from that interview he did pre Christmas as he constantly referred to himself and the club aligned but on that matter he said the club made a decision not a “we”

Yea I understand that but in his interview he made it sound that on the one hand they were attempting to repair.

 

[PrimalConstruct]

cleaning up some other cartridge.

They're everywhere, these things...

 

[stavro#4]

Yea I understand that but in his interview he made it sound that on the one hand they were attempting to repair.

He said the club had decided on a repair as it gave him the best life post footy.

So they effectively wrote off the last 4 weeks of 2025 and a delayed pre season to attempt the above.

A decision that max would have partaken in aswell.

 

[Parkysp]

View attachment 2513080

Checks date. Looks at tellie. Skinny people bashing a ball at each other. "Certainty". I live opposite the casino and will play it safe and not invest just yet.

Will be exceedingly happy if they are fit and able to be named in about 6 weeks...

 

[stavro#4]

I’m smelling a Jay Clark exclusive/s coming

 

[stfan]

I'm going to enjoy watching Hugo prove a few wrong this season.

Which few Or are you just have a win eirher way!

Those that say he is no good, or those that believe he will be good to very good for us.

I am.in the latter group.

 

[Parkysp]

Which few Or are you just have a win eirher way!

Those that say he is no good, or those that believe he will be good to very good for us.

I am.in the latter group.

I'm in the not "just" make it group. The amount Hugo has to do for some to "just" fall into our best 23 for me has left me feeling I'm watching a whole different sport.

First year draftee plays 9 games. Second year 17 games. Improvement on improvement. Nah he has to A,B,C,D first for quite a few.

Everyone else can hold. I've bought. Don't be late.

 

[Ads734]

I'm in the not "just" make it group. The amount Hugo has to do for some to "just" fall into our best 23 for me has left me feeling I'm watching a whole different sport.

First year draftee plays 9 games. Second year 17 games. Improvement on improvement. Nah he has to A,B,C,D first for quite a few.

Everyone else can hold. I've bought. Don't be late.

Yep agreed.

I think many view with a lender of ‘no weapons’ I see him as windy clone at the same age, with better hands.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Has everyone else lost access to their ‘watched threads’?

 

[Remboy]

I don’t remember anything of watching Flanders when he was playing on ball for Gold Coast, but I looked back at his individual games of 2024 (before his back injury that saw him play mostly forward last year), and he started that season on the ball a fair bit, for the first 3 weeks, before being moved out of there (presumably to the wing or HBF) for about 6 weeks, and then was moved back on ball for a stretch, with some much higher CBA’s, before playing elsewhere the last 3.

Here are the numbers for the games where he attended at least 6 CBA’s:

OR:
CBA’s- 15
26 Disposals (9 cont), 7 score involvements, 7 inside-50’s, 2 clearances, 92 ranking points.

R1:
CBA’s- 10
35 disposals (11 contested), 3 clearances, 540m-gained, 119 ranking points (eq 2nd)

R2:
CBA’s- 12
26 disposals (12 contested), 5 clearances, 1 goal, 87 ranking points

R8:
CBA’s- 8
30 disposals (11 contested), 5 clearances, 495m-gained, 104 ranking points

R15-
CBA’s- 6
33 disposals (11 contested), 4 clearances, 111 ranking points (3rd)

R16 v Collingwood
CBA’s- 27
33 disposals (15 contested), 8 score involvements, 6 clearances, 1 goal, 104 ranking points (5th)

R17
CBA’s- 18
27 disposals (10 contested), 6 clearances, 1 goal, 87 ranking points

R18:
CBA’s- 24
30 disposals (8 contested), 11 score involvements, 4 clearances, 1 goal, 95 ranking points 2 Brownlow votes

R19 v GWS
CBA’s- 20
43 disposals (11 contested), 9 clearances, 555m-gained, 137 ranking points (2nd) 2 Brownlow votes

R20 v Bris
CBA’s- 22
33 disposals (16 contested), 7 clearances, 1 goal, 113 ranking points (5th, 1st for GC), 1 Brownlow vote

R21 v WCE
CBA’s- 23
25 disposals (@88%, 7 contested), 3 clearances, 73 ranking points

Next/last 3 games

29 disposals 2 goals 2 Brownlow votes
28 disposals 2 goals
22 disposals 2 goals

Other games

42 disposals 2 Brownlow votes
37 disposals
34 disposals
34 disposals
33 disposals 3 Brownlow votes

He ended up with the most disposals in a season in Gold Coast’s history, so more than Gaz Jnr ever had.

Plus 12 Brownlow votes (including votes 3 times in losing teams- 2,2 and 1) and 44 coaches votes. At 23yo.

And there are peeps on the main board who reckon he won’t improve us and that he’s a “dud”!

The bloke can find some serious pill when he’s played in the right spots and fully fit!

Didn't he set the record for most disposals in a season for GC? More than peak GAJ.

 

[Diehard Saint]

I'm not a big replay watcher. Ive seen the highlights packages but not sat down and done the whole quarter.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Didn't he set the record for most disposals in a season for GC? More than peak GAJ.

Sure did. A lot of people are sleeping on this bloke if he’s back to full fitness.

Also 12 Brownlow votes (only one to get more than Macrae’s 8 for us last year was Nas), and 44 coaches votes (Nas 87, Sincs 47, Wilkie 32, Macrae 25, Ro 24, last season).

So if he’s back to his best he’s immediately in our best 5 or so players. And a big upgrade on Steele (who received a paltry 3 coaches votes and 2 Brownlow votes last year).

 

[aussierulesrules]

I’d argue silly would be letting him find fitness on suburban football grounds against suburban footballers looking to make a name for themselves - just like last time.

Yeah I mean if he’s really ready to play that would be a decent option, but the way I read it it seemed as though they meant if he wasn’t really ready he could play multiple half games.

I’d be fine with him being eased in for a couple after say one VFL game.

 

[FQFjt]

Sure did. A lot of people are sleeping on this bloke if he’s back to full fitness.

Also 12 Brownlow votes (only one to get more than Macrae’s 8 for us last year was Nas), and 44 coaches votes (Nas 87, Sincs 47, Wilkie 32, Macrae 25, Ro 24, last season).

So if he’s back to his best he’s immediately in our best 5 or so players. And a big upgrade on Steele (who received a paltry 3 coaches votes and 2 Brownlow votes last year).

Optimistically, our team will have something like 8 high quality players added to the mix who were not there or available last year, and without losing any high quality talent (sorry Steele).

We could pop in a big way this year.

 

[PoppedCorn]

You can see his junior athletic pedigree shining through...hates being in second place and backs himself to catch an opponent in a foot race.

I love his feisty side. He stands up for himself and his teammates.

i love him
adds mongrel and busts a gut as well
reckon he will step right up
im a big sharman fan and hugo is starting to become another fav of mine

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

St Kilda is certain to unleash prized Carlton recruits Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni in the club’s Opening Round blockbuster against Collingwood.

The former Blues began the new year under an injury cloud, but De Koning dispelled any doubts over his fitness sparkling in match simulation as part of a gruelling two-hour session in Maroochydore on Monday.

It means the ace big man will be available to lead the new-look ruck division alongside Rowan Marshall in both of the club’s preseason games against Gold Coast and Essendon next month.

TDK will be out there when the Saints open their season.
TDK will be out there when the Saints open their season.
Silvagni is also on track to re-join main training next month and take on the Magpies on Sunday, March 8 after stepping up his recovery with a 12km running and kicking session on the club’s preseason camp on Monday.

And in a surprise, spearhead Max King also remains in the frame to make a return from his knee nightmare in the early rounds as the club weighs up whether to use him in a restricted role off the bench.

The move to scrap the substitute and increase the interchange bench to five men this year means the Saints are considering using King early in the season deep forward with a minutes limit.

King ran at about half-pace on Monday as part of a two-hour work-out following recent surgery to remove the troublesome meniscus which wiped out his 2025 season.

The Saints had tried to repair the area in multiple surgeries last season but have removed the tissue causing the problems in the latest procedure.

The full forward is optimistic he is finally over his knee setbacks following the change in approach towards the knee pain and limitations which have plagued him over the past 12 months.

The big man, who has not played since round 17, 2024, remains hopeful of pressing to play against the Magpies in round zero after pulling up well from recent work-outs including Monday’s heavy session in hot conditions.

The Saints will be cautious with one of their most important assets but are open to deploying him as the fifth man on the bench early in the season if his recovery remains on track next month.

Max King is recovering well. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Max King is recovering well. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
The extended bench will give clubs capacity to play some returning stars including King for as little as 50 per cent of game time after the call to scrap the sub for 2026.

King’s return alongside the addition of De Koning and Silvagni will provide a huge aerial boost to the spine in 2026 as the Saints aggressively plot a return to finals this year following last year’s trade raid.

And the club is hoping to start the season with a near fully-available list with veteran utility Mason Wood and key backman Dougal Howard also set to return from minor calf niggles in coming weeks.

The Saints, who saved millions of dollars in the salary cap while they hit the draft in recent years, also bolstered the engine room landing Gold Coast ballwinner Sam Flanders and West Coast premiership forward Liam Ryan.

Flanders is tipped to spend considerable time in the engine room this season next to re-signed superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Mattaes Phillipou in place of former captain Jack Steele who was traded to Melbourne last year.

Wanganeen-Milera was a stand-out in match simulation with his brilliant line breaking run and skill out of the middle on Monday.

The South Australian turned down bumper offers to head home when he re-signed a $2 million-a-year deal at St Kilda and looks set to become one of the top players in the game this year.

Gun defender Callum Wilkie, who is tipped to become the new captain, also one of the best along with strong-bodied forward Mitch Owens in the match play.