Saints' woes are set to go

James Gwilt is recovering from a knee injury. Source: News Limited

NEW St Kilda coach Alan Richardson is hopeful of a full list for the NAB Challenge despite a dozen players battling injury complaints in recent months.

Richardson is confident the Saints' injury list is rapidly shrinking, as the likes of James Gwilt (knee), Rhys Stanley (hip/shoulder), Dylan Roberton (ankle) and top draft pick Jack Billings (quad) return to training.

The Saints faced a defensive crisis early last season, and many key defenders are still easing back to training, including Tom Simpkin (shin) and Luke Delaney (hip).

Nathan Wright (shin) and Tom Lee (shoulder) are both not yet in full training, while Jack Newnes (shoulder) and Aaron Siposs (shoulder) have overcome their issues.

SAINTS' STARS REUNITE

But Richardson says the Saints have a key group of about 35 players having completed much of the pre-season, with many of those officially on the injury list also having got through a solid chunk.

No. 3 draft pick Billings tweaked his quad in early December on the club's Colorado training camp and will finally return to full training this week.

Young forward Daniel Markworth, who needed an arthroscope in December after a setback for the ACL rupture he had suffered late in 2012, is not far behind him.

The Saints take on the Western Bulldogs on February 19 in their first NAB Challenge game, then Greater Western Sydney on March 1.

Their Round 1 opener under Richardson is against Melbourne on March 22.

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson is optimistic his list is taking shape. Picture by Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

"We are in pretty good shape, we would be mid-30s (training well), and those guys would have been able to get significant load into them in terms of preparation for a game in a few weeks time,'' Richardson said last week.

"There would be others who aren't in the 35 who are in pretty good shape who would add to that group by the time we get to matches. We will certainly be healthy enough. You can tell when you put them in a game simulation, they are cracking in, they are getting ready to play."

ST KILDA'S BEST 22

Captain Nick Riewoldt has completed a strong pre-season despite being held back from some drills and training.

The 31-year-old is a strong favourite to again be skipper in his 14th season, with fellow veteran Leigh Montagna the only other option for the Saints.

Both players last year signed contract extensions, with new father Lenny Hayes also in great shape for his 16th season.

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Chappy has Bomber excited

NEW Essendon coach Mark Thompson has recast the Bombers forward line, excited by the summer progress of Paul Chapman and determined to play Jake Carlisle in attack.

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No guarantees in Bombers case

ESSENDON looks almost certain to embark upon a new season without any action from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority over doping charges - but still without an iron-clad guarantee that infraction notices won't come.

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Suns set to back 'Bluey'

Gary Ablett's Suns are eager to taste finals action for the first time in 2014. Picture: Jerad Williams Source: News Limited

SUNS coach Guy McKenna could be handed a contract extension within months as the club gets set to back him in regardless of how the team performs in 2014.

Suns chief executive Travis Auld hinted McKenna would receive an extension on his current contract, which expires at the end of this season.

The backing comes as the Suns get set to face their first year in the AFL spotlight.

Until now the club have escaped scrutiny in their three-year existence in the big league but this year is different.

The Suns are expected to challenge for the top eight in 2014 and anything less will have supporters calling for McKenna's head.

Auld knows how the game works but insists it won't be all McKenna's fault if things don't go to plan this year.

JOSH FRASER TO COACH SUNS' SECONDS

"We are realistic about what our goals are and where we are at as a club and it's not as if one person is responsible for our on-field performance," he said.

"It is at times quite a fickle industry and you go back to year one and we got our midfield wrong and our coaches weren't up to the challenge, according to some commentators in the AFL.

"It was a different view last year and we just need to hold our line on what we believe and not respond to commentary outside the footy club.

"Either way if we have a strong start to the season we need to keep our feet on the ground and if things don't start how we like we need to remain focused on what our longer term goal is."

Discussion about McKenna's long-term future comes after the Suns re-signed him to a new two-year deal in May, 2012 despite the club recording a 0-8 win-loss record at the time.

Auld said showing faith in McKenna was part of the club's key values.

"From day one we talked about stability being one of key planks to building our club," he said.

"That's not just the senior coach and that's the playing group, assistant coaches and even in the administration side of the business and the board.

"We would love to see all our key people stay around for some time."

MCKENNA DENIES FORWARD REST FOR GAZZA

But while he doesn't have any performance-based measures to reach this year, Auld said McKenna will have his own expectations in 2014.

"He will have expectations on how he wants to coach and the team to play and you don't last long in this game unless you've got really high expectations on field," Auld said.

"(But) I don't think there is anything in particular we are asking him to do this year that would determine whether he gets another contract."

As for his three seasons at the helm of the club, Auld has been impressed by McKenna's growth.

"He came to us in 2009 with a lot of experience as an assistant coach but to coach your own team at AFL level, we've been really pleased with his development," he said.

"It was no surprise to see us improve a lot last year and I think it's a combination of not just the players but the overall coaching group improving."

Auld said a contract extension for McKenna would need to be ratified by the Suns board.

Suns chairman John Witheriff did not return calls yesterday.

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Fit Hawks looking ominous

Luke Hodge and the Hawks have returned from their Christmas break in ominous condition. Picture: Michael Klein Source: News Limited

HAWTHORN'S playing group has avoided the mental lapse that plagued its premiership defence in 2009, returning from the Christmas break in ominous physical condition.

The Herald Sun understands as many as half the club's players either equalled or set new personal best running times in a 2km trial on Saturday morning.

The reigning premier also has few injuries, with only three players on the comeback from knee reconstructions (Alex Woodward, Ryan Schoenmakers and Brendan Whitecross) in any doubt for the NAB Challenge games.

GARLETT LOVING AFL LIFE

Like many rivals the Hawks face a tricky preparation to the season proper, with only one practice match scheduled in the month-long lead-in to Round 1.

It could mean the Hawks play more of their senior players in the NAB games, rather than the usual quota of youngsters, to ensure their best 22 players are prepared for the season opener.

New recruit Ben McEvoy trains with the Hawks. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

Football operations manager Chris Fagan said the club was pleased with the results of Saturday's time trial, helping signal the players' strong desire to back up last year's premiership victory.

"We weren't surprised there was a good result at the weekend because the indications at training last week was that they had come back in good shape," Fagan said.

"The time trail on Saturday morning confirmed that.

"It's only one little step but it's better to be that way than be concerned about players because they have come back in poor condition and you are worried about their attitude.

WHO IS THE NEXT BUDDY?

"What it is is a really good reflection of the attitude at the moment is right."

Fagan conceded last month the players "probably partied too hard and got a little bit excited" after their last flag in 2008.

But the footy chief said the Hawks trained impressively on their recent two-week camp in South Africa and set high expectations about their conditioning upon their return from the Christmas break.

"If you want to be any good it's got to be the players driving those things, not the coaching group," he said.

Jarryd Roughead hands out advice to some youngsters. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

The Hawks tackle Brisbane on February 8 and North Melbourne on February 21 as part of the NAB Challenge series.

With only one game against the Dees on March 8 before the season opener against Brisbane on March 22, Fagan said it would be a challenge giving all their players ample match practice

"It's a funny build-up you basically play one game for four weeks before the home and away season begins," he said.

"The decision making around who to play in the NAB (games) and whether you can play a lot of young blokes or not is going to be quite difficult because you need to make sure you have got reasonable game time into your group that you think is going to be play in Round 1.

"All clubs might find themselves in the situation where the VFL practice games are going to be pretty important to get match practice into your blokes."

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Primus joins AFL's 200 club

Matthew Primus, left, with Guy McKenna in his current role as a Gold Coast Suns assistant coach. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Limited

PORT Adelaide champion Matthew Primus is one of 59 new additions to the AFL's illustrious 200 club after a change to the qualification rules.

Members previously had to have played, coached or umpired 200 games but admission can now be gained through a combination of the three.

It means Primus, who played 157 games for Fitzroy and Port before coaching the Power 47 times, joins AFL legends such as Barry Cable and John Coleman in the exclusive club.

Other additions under the new criteria include former Crows coach Robert Shaw, current Power football manager Peter Rohde and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon.

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No talk of replacing skipper yet

Could Patrick Dangerfield, right, take over at the Crows stand-in captain while Nathan van Berlo is missing? Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Limited

ADELAIDE will not discuss a replacement acting-captain for injured skipper Nathan van Berlo until later in the month when senior staff return from leave.

But list and strategy manager David Noble said van Berlo's freak achilles tendon injury would not have an affect on whether he held the captaincy long-term.

MORE: VB'S ACHILLES INJURY A FREAK ACCIDENT

"That (the injury) won't have any impact as far as we sit on where the captaincy goes,'' Noble said.

"We will discuss (the acting captaincy) in the next few weeks but I don't see that it would have any impact at all on the (permanent captaincy) side of things.

"It's not as though he won't be playing or training for the whole year.

"We know that he can't weight bare for three months but if anyone can get himself back in the condition they need to get themselves playing quickly, it's Nathan."

Adelaide Crows are confident captain Nathan van Berlo will return to the field in 2014 after suffering an Achilles injury at training on Monday.

Patrick Dangerfield, long touted as a future skipper at West Lakes, is among the front runners for the acting captaincy.

But, given the club says it is unlikely to change the captain permanently, it could chose to give veterans Scott Thompson or Ben Rutten the role this year.

Club doctor Andrew Potter said on Tuesday van Berlo would aim to resume full training by July and could return to playing by August.

But Dr Potter stressed time frames were "fluid".

North Melbourne's Andrew Swallow has only recently resumed running after suffering soreness when he first attempted to run in November, following his achilles rupture last July.

Noble said the Crows would also hold off discussions about whether to place van Berlo on the long-term injury list until closer to the season.

There is no obvious player warranting elevation to the senior list among the Crows' rookies - James Battersby, Alex Spina, Jack Osborne, Jake Kelly and Charlie Cameron.

Noble said the Crows would also discuss mentoring and coaching options for van Berlo while he was fully sidelined over the next two to three months.

"We'll have a discussion about the roles that we can get him to play while he's in recovery,'' Noble said.

He said van Berlo was in good spirits given the circumstances of the injury.

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VB's Achilles cut a freak accident

Adelaide Crows have suffered a major setback with captain Nathan van Berlo rupturing his Achilles Tendon at training on Monday which will likely see him out of action for up to three months.

Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo won Adelaide's first time-trial of the new year but will now miss three months with an Achilles injury. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Limited

ADELAIDE will this week review its fitness equipment and safety practices but the club believes skipper Nathan van Berlo's season threatening achilles tendon injury was the result of a freak accident.

Van Berlo will be out of football until at least August after rupturing his achilles on Monday when he was struck by a weighted training sled which cut through his heel and tendon, at Max Basheer Reserve.

MORE: NO TALK OF CHOOSING AN ACTING CAPTAIN UNTIL LATER

A spokesperson for the club said, with no vision, it was difficult to determine how the incident occurred and the club's football department would conduct an internal review.

The review, to include high performance manager Nick Poulos and coach Brenton Sanderson, will centre around the training sleds, but the club is confident there is no safety issue.

Widely used across the AFL and part of the Crow's program for years, the sleds are loaded with weights and strapped to the athlete.

The athlete then pulls the sled while sprinting as a form of sprint training.

The Crows could not confirm whether van Berlo was struck by a sled he was pulling, or a sled pulled by another player.

Club doctor Andrew Potter said it was initially suspected 182-game veteran van Berlo had suffered a cut to the heel.

Former Crow Phil Davis dragging a sled with weights, similar to the one that injured captain Nathan van Berlo. Source: News Limited

The club took him to hospital as a precaution where scans revealed the injury was far worse.

"We're not entirely sure exactly what happened and the club is still looking into that, but suffice to say it was during a warm up,'' Dr Potter said.

"They were doing some speed work and some strength work.

"One of the things that is used in many sports and widely across the AFL is they use those sleds that they pull, which are weighted.

"For some reason, Nathan was struck on the back of the heel by one of those sleds.

"Now the circumstance of that we're not sure of. We're still looking into that but that's how it happened."

Leading SA athletics coach Steve Butler said he regularly used sleds in training with his athletes and rated the risk of being struck as low. But he said precaution was required.

Butler successfully used sleds when training Olympic medallist Mark Ormorod for the 2004 Games in Athens and currently uses them with Paralympian Gabriel Cole.

"For elite level training they are a necessary part and the benefits outweigh the risk,'' said Butler, also West Adelaide Football Club fitness coach.

"I'm not sure what happened (with van Berlo) but there is a slight risk and you have to be careful.

"If the athlete does not pull up properly from a sprint, for example, the sled could slide into the back of him if (the sled) is not heavily weighted."

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