Three key Saints have been struck down by injury as the club ramps up preparations for 2025.
Mattaes Phillipou, Dougal Howard and Rowan Marshall are all in danger of missing the start of the season after picking up injuries during training.
Phillipou's is the most serious, having been diagnosed with a stress fracture to his femur.
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The 20-year-old mid-forward will be sidelined for several months due to the injury, which requires a signicant period of rest.
“This is an extremely disappointing development for Mattaes,” Saints football manager David Misson said.
“It was clear he’d taken the lessons he learned last year into his off-season and came back ready to attack 2025.
“Mattaes pulled up a bit sore on Friday, so we monitored his recovery over the weekend. His pain was still present on Monday, so we sent him off for scans that confirmed the diagnosis.
“He’ll be on crutches for the next couple of weeks, then we’re looking at 10-12 weeks of rehabilitation and re-loading after that.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but Mattaes’ maturity and commitment is far beyond his years, and we’re sure he’ll tackle this period with the professionalism we’ve come to expect from him.”
The news isn't much better for Howard, with the 28-year-old key defender suffering a dislocated shoulder in a marking contest at training.
“Dougal is going for scans this morning, so we’ll await those results before assigning a return-to-play timeline,” Misson said.
“Recovery from an injury like this can really range from days to weeks, so we won’t speculate until we have that clarity.”
Their big man stocks have been hit particularly hard, with ruckman Marshall also suffering a stress-related injury.
“Rowan’s going for a CT scan tomorrow to assess the extent of a stress fracture in his pelvis,” Misson said.
“He’s been on modified duties since last week to assist with the management of the injury, but we’ll have a better idea of his recovery after the scan tomorrow.
“We’re hopeful that Rowan will be available for round one or soon thereafter.”
The Saints, who finished 12th in 2024, get their campaign underway against the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, March 16.