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Retired Koby Stevens

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Stevens adds harder edge http://www.saints.com.au/news/2017-09-13/stevens-adds-harder-edge via @stkildafc

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With the influx of new midfielders in the draft , Koby will have to fight to get a place in the team . On the plus side all midfields spots are up for grabs with exception of Ross and Steven imo.
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Koby Stevens is accustomed to the summer slog, but that doesn’t make his ninth pre-season any easier than his first eight.

The dynamic midfielder overcame an interrupted start to his first season at Linen House Centre to play 15 of the final 17 games of 2017.

Stevens, 26, underwent major groin surgery at the end of last season, but it hasn’t restricted him at all this summer, with the former Western Bulldogs and West Coast onballer not missing a session thus far.

“It’s my ninth pre-season but I don’t think they are getting any easier,” Stevens told saints.com.au from St Kilda’s training camp at Geelong Grammar.

“Matty Hornsby [High Performance Manager] has been on a bit of a mission this pre-season so it’s been really tough.

“It’s mainly about getting running fit and healthy at this time of year and we’ve got a pretty healthy list at the minute.”

Stevens, who averaged 21.7 disposals, 5.2 tackles and 3.1 clearances in his first season in red, white and black, said new midfield coach Simon McPhee had made his mark since taking over the reins from Adam Kingsley in November.

“Macca has been great. He’s quite measured in the way he goes about his coaching,” Stevens said.

“He’s letting the mids play a little bit this year which is good.

“I think we’ve got the talent in there, it’s just about bonding and getting that group really tight.”

St Kilda’s entire list and coaching department will spend this week training and living at the prestigious Geelong Grammar as they up the ante ahead of the pre-season games and Round 1.




Can’t wait for 2018 season.
 

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Most people who use Kieser training are in the twilight of their lives, searching for ways to prolong their golf or tennis games, or trying to improve their mobility in retirement.

Then there is Koby Stevens who visits Kieser in South Melbourne three times a week trying to tame a body that has let him down in the last three or four years.

Stevens, 26, played 15 games in his first season at St Kilda but required significant surgery on both of his groins last September after experiencing persistent issues throughout the second half of 2017.

“I had a few little niggles last year and towards the end of last year I ended up having pretty big surgery and had both my groins operated on,” Stevens told saints.com.au on Tuesday.

“Now I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt.

"I’ve done a lot of rehab and three times a week I’m at Kieser in South Melbourne doing a lot of work on my groins, hips and my back.

“I’m feeling as free as ever, so touch wood I can hold onto that all the way through the season.”

While it’s uncommon for professional athletes to use Kieser, Stevens isn’t the only player at Linen House Centre or in the competition that has used the German designed machine program.

Star midfielder David Armitage also uses Kieser several times a week as he looks to overcome the lingering groin issues that limited him to just two appearances last year.

“Kieser is a little bit different; it’s a place for chronic back issues,” Stevens said.

“There are a few boys that do it and I know a lot of other players from other teams do it as well.

“They are special machines that are setup to target the little areas in your back and groins that you can’t target with normal weights training.”




Can’t wait for 2018 season.
 
Disappointing performance in AFLX followed by non-selection in the JLT 1 v Carlton (was emergency but played for Sandringham in the curtain raiser at dark and windy park) suggests Koby is on the outer.

I reckon he is a best 22 player, so I was disappointed to see him sit on the pine for all but the last minutes of the first half. His performance was quite encouraging once he was given a chance. I'm not suggesting that he was the difference that brought StKilda back into the match, but he certainly contributed.

Palantine said:
Speaking of tackles, Koby landed five in only half a game of footy. He also got 15 disposals and 6 inside fifties. I can see him playing round one. He's in brilliant condition, and when wannabe Heroes like Brayshaw want to act like a tough guy, let Koby give them a reality check.
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Kildonan said:
Disappointing performance in AFLX followed by non-selection in the JLT 1 v Carlton (was emergency but played for Sandringham in the curtain raiser at dark and windy park) suggests Koby is on the outer.

I reckon he is a best 22 player, so I was disappointed to see him sit on the pine for all but the last minutes of the first half. His performance was quite encouraging once he was given a chance. I'm not suggesting that he was the difference that brought StKilda back into the match, but he certainly contributed.
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I like him a lot. I think he should be in the side for Round 1 based on his performance. He just goes about it and gets it done - we sort of need more of that in the midfield in my opinion.
 
lewdogs said:
I like him a lot. I think he should be in the side for Round 1 based on his performance. He just goes about it and gets it done - we sort of need more of that in the midfield in my opinion.
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I like him as depth but he has too many serious flaws in his game for our younger mids not to play before him. He can find the footy and puts his body on the line but he’s a classical “no hurt” player.
If we can only play three of Acres, Dunstan, Steele, Stevens then I know who I’d be leaving out.
 
Moorabbin Ghost said:
I like him as depth but he has too many serious flaws in his game for our younger mids not to play before him. He can find the footy and puts his body on the line but he’s a classical “no hurt” player.
If we can only play three of Acres, Dunstan, Steele, Stevens then I know who I’d be leaving out.
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Agree with alot of this. Except he is that hard at the ball of sets standards for the boys. He is also good at hitting up targets. Prefer the youth however .
 
Round 1 team is named:
Phoenix_9 said:
FB: Geary - Brown - Webster
HB: Roberton - Carlisle - Savage
C: Sinclair - Steele - Acres
HF: Gresham - Bruce - Billings
FF: Clark - McCartin - Membrey
R: Longer - Ross - Steven
I: Newnes - Armitage - Stevens - Long

Newnes to rotate through half back and wing.
Armitage and Stevens to rotate through midfield.
Long to rotate through small forward role.

Genuinely bewildered as to Dunstan’s whereabouts. How is he not even an emergency?... has to be injured.

Still think Coffield showed far far far more than Long in preseason, shocked to see Long selected ahead of him. I thought we were going to rotate mids through the forward line...

Anyways, it’s a good looking line up overall. Pretty keen to see how we go against the Lions. No excuses, should be a 4-5 goal win.
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Essentially Koby gets the nod ahead of Dunstan, and Long is ahead of Weller
 

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St Kilda Injury List after Rd 4

Code: 
Player Injury Estimated Return

Rowan Marshall     Concussion     Test
Jimmy Webster      Hip            Test
Tim Membrey        Knee           Test
Nathan Freeman     Hamstring      2 weeks
Darren Minchington Knee           5-7 weeks
Josh Bruce         Back           6-8 weeks
Daniel McKenzie    Concussion     Indefinite
Doulton Langlands  Glandular fever Indefinite
Dylan Roberton     Heart          Indefinite
Koby Stevens       Concussion     Indefinite
 
Saints mid out indefinitely with concussion
Dinny Navaratnam
Apr 17, 2018 5:32PM

ST KILDA midfielder Koby Stevens faces an indefinite stint on the sidelines as he deals with delayed onset concussion.

On a positive note, the Saints are optimistic Tim Membrey has overcome his right knee injury and will be fit to face Greater Western Sydney on Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium.

Stevens suffered a head knock in round one against Brisbane, when he was one of his side's best after restricting star Lion Dayne Zorko to 14 disposals.

However, he didn't report anything that would spark fears of concussion and played the following week, before being dropped for round three and not playing any football that weekend as the senior side's carryover emergency.

Leading up to the round four clash against Geelong, Stevens experienced concussion-related symptoms.

The 26-year-old therefore didn't play at any level over the past weekend. He took to the track very briefly last Thursday at the main training session and was restricted to running laps.

St Kilda football manager Simon Lethlean expects the tough nut to miss several weeks at the very least.

"As is normal practice, Koby won't return to training until the symptoms have subsided and he's given the all clear from our doctors," Lethlean told saints.com.au.

"While we can't put a timeframe on that, he'll continue to work closely with our conditioning and medical teams over the next few weeks and complete the necessary tests."

It's an untimely blow for the 1-3 Saints, as they face a tough month while looking to rectify their flagging season.

HARD ROAD: Saints' fixture provides little relief

Defender Dylan Roberton, who made the Virgin Australia All Australian squad of 40 last year, is expected to miss the next fortnight and possibly longer as he deals with a heart issue after he collapsed against the Cats.

St Kilda head physiotherapist Andrew Wallis told saints.com.au Membrey looked set to return, while the club is hopeful Jimmy Webster will be back as well.

"Tim Membrey trained fully today, so as long as he gets through training on Thursday, he'll be back in," Wallis said.

"Jimmy Webster similar. He trained today. We need him to get through on Thursday with his hip flexor.

"Certainly if he doesn't get through this week, he'll be well ahead of the curve to play next week."

Promising big man Rowan Marshall will have further testing for concussion and is in doubt to face the Giants.

In good news for Nathan Freeman, he has recovered sufficiently from right hamstring surgery to rejoin the main group.

"He full trained today for the first time and he will full train on Thursday. He's only two weeks away," Wallis said.
 
Concussed Saint still struggling to train
Dinny Navaratnam
May 3, 2018 4:00PM
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SIDELINED St Kilda midfielder Koby Stevens is struggling to train as he battles concussion, with his indefinite absence from the field continuing.

Stevens suffered a head knock against Brisbane in round one when he limited star Lion Dayne Zorko to 14 disposals. He played the game out and spent one more week in the senior side before being dropped.

An emergency for round three, he did not play at any level and reported concussion-related symptoms leading up to the following week's Geelong clash.

He was diagnosed with delayed onset concussion and given a few days away from the club.

Almost a month later, there is no timeline on Stevens' return, and St Kilda's football manager Simon Lethlean told Melbourne radio station SEN the tough onballer's situation was comparable with defender Dylan Roberton, who has been ruled out for the season after experiencing an irregular heartbeat and collapsing on-field against the Cats in round four.

"With Koby, it's a bit like Dylan in some respects. He's on a modified exercise program, such that you're only allowed to get your heart rate to a certain level and if he increases it and feels unwell, he brings it back down," Lethlean said.

"He was on the bike today (Thursday) and couldn't get past a certain level because he didn't feel too well.

"He's not particularly well at the moment, insofar as how he's feeling. It's certainly affected his concentration and a few headaches, and some other things.

"He's being treated with a lot of caution but at the same time, with the intent that he works his way into coming back. Just not sure when it's going to be."

Lethlean played down the notion the concussion could be career-threatening to the 26-year-old.

"The intent is that as soon as Koby feels well enough as he exercises more, he'll be back into it," Lethlean said.

"I guess there's a degree of uncertainty with any of these areas that you're heading into waters where we're all learning the effects on athletes of head knocks.

"I don't think there's any certainty around it, but there's certainly no dire prognosis at the moment either."

Meanwhile, Roberton who made the Virgin Australia All Australian squad of 40 last season, has had a battery-sized device implanted into his chest so his heart can be monitored for the next three months.

"I think it was an irregularity of the heartbeat," Lethlean said.

"We got an explanation from the doctor that's far more technical than that, about various areas of the heart that are in charge of sparking the right pumping mechanisms."

Similar to Stevens, Roberton is limited in how much exercise he can do.

"He's feeling well, so it's all a bit foreign to him," Lethlean said.

"He's been feeling well ever since, but the tests have shown that they can't quite pinpoint why what happened, happened, and why there's an irregularity there.

"Until they can be comfortable that's not going to occur again, he's not to get his exertion and stress levels to a degree that could re-spark that issue."
 
St Kilda midfielder Koby Stevens has today announced his retirement from AFL football, effective immediately.

The 27-year-old, who has not played since round two this year due to ongoing concussion symptoms, informed his teammates of his decision today.

“This decision has taken me a long time to come to,” Stevens said.


“Football has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I do recognise how lucky I have been to play professionally for the past nine years.

“However, after lengthy consultations with my family and on the advice of doctors, I’ve made the extremely hard decision that I cannot risk my health and future for the game.

“I’m so grateful for the support of the entire St Kilda Football Club, particularly the medical and player development staff who have been extremely supportive of me over the past few months.

“To my teammates and coaches, both here at the Saints and at my previous clubs, thank you for allowing me to live my dream. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done.

“Lastly, to my friends and family I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Coach Alan Richardson said the club would continue to support Stevens.

“Koby quickly earned the respect of his teammates after crossing from the Bulldogs and became a much loved member of our group,” he said.

“He is a high quality person who is enormously respected by everyone at the Saints.”

“When we were at our best last season he was a huge a driver of our midfield group, with his attack on the ball and the opposition.

“Ultimately Koby has had to make a decision for his future and we support him 100 per cent and wish him all the best for the future.

“He’ll always be part of the Saints family.”

Stevens was drafted to the West Coast Eagles with pick 23 in the 2009 AFL Draft.

After playing 11 games for the Eagles, he was traded to the Western Bulldogs where he played 62 games between 2012 and 2016.

At the end of the 2016 season he was recruited by St Kilda and went on to play 17 games in the red, white and black.


Go Saints
 

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Kildonan said:
Quite an emotional announcement. I really felt for the guy.
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Me too , he looked devastated, sad way for him to finish his playing career.


Go Saints
 

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