Brett Ratten has revealed a number of key St Kilda coaching personnel have been hit by COVID-19.
Assistant coaches Corey Enright and Brendon Lade are currently away from the club, while new Head of Performance and Conditioning Nick Walsh and high-performance staffer Marcus Krygger have also been hit by the virus.
Lade will be absent from gameday duties and will take on a role away from the coaches boxย - similar to what Ratten experienced in Round 5 when he was in health and safety protocols - when the Saints take on Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
Enright is anticipated to be available for the Round 8 bout, however.
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask me that," Ratten chuckled at his media appearance at Moorabbin on Thursday morning.
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"Corey Enright will be available for gameday, [when] he comes out... 'Ladey' will do exactly what I did.
"At times we're gonna have challenges... It's life at the moment."
The news comes after Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks was ruled out of his side's clash with Carlton under health and safety protocols.
As far as on-field personnel, the Saints are currently in the clear after having been forced to call on reinforcements after a trio was sidelined under similar circumstances in recent weeks.
Spotted: Mason Wood and Marcus Windhager in what looks to be the 'B' team in Match Sim at Moorabbin.
Jack Billings and Zak Jones also in white.
Rowan Marshall in the 'A' team alongside Paddy Ryder.@zerohanger pic.twitter.com/r5nlUCy17O
— Nick Splitter (@nicksplitter) May 5, 2022
Zak Jones, Jimmy Webster and Tom Campbell were all required to isolate throughout periods of the opening six rounds of the season.
The Saints are likely to welcome the return of ruckman Rowan Marshall for this weekend, while midfield pair Jack Billings and Jones himself are in the mix.
