Gardiner passes test - The Age

[my les foote]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/g ... 70696.html

ST KILDA ruckman Michael Gardiner is on track to play his first senior match for the club after successfully completing yesterday's intraclub match in Moorabbin.

The former West Coast player managed only one game with the Casey Scorpions in the VFL last year because of a persistent foot injury, but moved freely yesterday in the ruck.

Coach Ross Lyon said he was impressed with Gardiner's progress over summer and both he and Geelong premiership ruckman Steven King would play in the pre-season NAB Cup.

"It was nice, Michael's fought some significant injury problems, but he's been in full training for a fair while now and we were always confident he was going to play today and play round one," he said.

King, who played his first match in St Kilda colours after transferring from the Cats, looked strong in the ruck against Michael Rix.

"I'm on record (saying) if they stood up today, they would play next week," Lyon said.

"There's no No. 1 or No. 2 (ruckman), it's about rotations and sharing the load. One week, one will do 60 per cent and the other 40, it depends on opposition and form, but fundamentally, it will be rotating the role between Rix, King, Gardner and (Justin) Koschitzke."

Koschitzke kicked four goals yesterday playing forward and took several strong overhead marks. He was rotated on and off the bench several times throughout the match.

Co-captains Nick Riewoldt and Lenny Hayes headed a list of senior players who did not take any part in the game. Riewoldt, who had a 24-hour virus earlier in the week, was rested and Hayes was still recovering from calf soreness.

Luke Ball, who announced during the week he was stepping down as co-captain, also was rested, along with key defender Matt Maguire and Max Hudghton.

Leigh Fisher, Jason Gram and Brendon Goddard, who is recovering from a knee reconstruction last year, did not play, while Adam Schneider was sidelined with a quad complaint.

Lyon said he chose to rest Riewoldt, who also had a slight cork, and save him for the opening NAB Cup game.

He said Hayes was not being risked. "He's an elite midfielder, so we'll get him back at the right time."

He said most of the players rested yesterday would not play next week.

"Riewoldt will play and (Max) Hudghton, Gwilty (James Gwilt), they're the three obvious ones, other than that no one else (will play)."

He said Goddard's recovery from knee surgery was on track. "We're just graduating his competing work . .. he's trying to get up for round one but it's not about round one, we learnt that with Maguire last year," Lyon said.

"It's about getting it right and he (Goddard) is a valuable player and we want him to have a long-term career at St Kilda."

Andrew McQualter kicked one goal and came in for special mention from the coach, while the Clarke brother, Raphael and Xavier, both contested well.

Forward Fraser Gehrig, who had one of the shortest retirements from football on record, is set to return next week. The veteran forward kicked one goal yesterday.