St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has confirmed that young star Mitchito Owens will not play in the club's Round 1 match against Adelaide on Sunday.
Owens sustained a shoulder injury in the club's Community Series match against Port Adelaide but had made strides to look like he could be ready for the Saints' opening game of the season before Lyon confirmed on Friday that the 21-year-old won't make the trip to face the Crows.
"We thought he would get up, but he feels like he needs another week, so we won't risk him," Lyon said.
"Not even risk; he's not ready."
Senior pair Rowan Marshall and Jack Sinclair will make the trip to South Australia to face the Crows after overcoming their respective pre-season injuries. They will play alongside former Bulldog Jack Macrae, who is set to debut in the red, white, and black.
While not confirming, the freshly re-signed coach hinted at several debutants, with five potential AFL debutants named on the extended bench.
After making the finals in his first season back at Moorabbin, the Saints missed out on September footy last year as they continued to renovate the playing list.
Lyon said he was buoyed by the improvements shown in the back end of 2024 but was steadfast in not straying from the timeline and project that remained in front of him and the coaching group for this season and beyond.
"Certainly anything's possible, statistically we're as young as Richmond..... But we haven't lived in that space," he said.
"We feel we've shifted quickly, that's the facts, the base.... In the end, we have to write our own stories.
"We did that in '23, the back half of '24... Last moments don't count; the only thing that counts is the next moment.
"There's always results happening in games, ebbs and flows and momentum swings and injuries, you just have to handle it all.
"We're in a space of continuous improvement and a growth mindset. You just have to do the work, and the wheel will turn.
"We know from where we are now, with this group, with everyone available, it's going to be pretty exciting."
Meanwhile, Lyon provided an update on injured pair Max King and Liam Henry, who are both making strides towards a return to footy. It is a welcome distraction for Saints fans as they await the forward line cavalry, but Lyon's focus remained squarely on the Crows.
"Max King is making ground; he will run again today. Liam Henry is basically ready, but he needs some match conditioning," he said.
"There's some positive stuff on the outside, but we're squarely focussed on Adelaide; they're fit and available and with some huge expectations on them.
"It's a formidable opponent."
