St Kilda has made one change ahead of Saturday night’s encounter with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, with rebounding defender Shane Savage returning from concussion.

After playing the last five games in the senior side – the equal best streak of his career – midfielder-forward Darren Minchington comes out at the expense of Savage.

Savage, 25, missed last Sunday’s 36-point win over Melbourne after suffering concussion in a collision with Essendon tall forward Joe Daniher in Round 16.

But after proving his fitness at Thursday’s main training session at Linen House Centre, Savage returns to bolster St Kilda’s back six.

Minchington has been named as an emergency, along with midfielder Eli Templeton and ruckman Jason Holmes.

For the third time this season, St Kilda is gunning for a third consecutive win, a feat the Saints are yet to achieved during Alan Richardson’s tenure.

The Saints won back-to-back games against Essendon (Round 9) and Fremantle (Round 10), and then against Carlton (Round 12) and Geelong (14), before their most recent run against Essendon (Round 16) and Melbourne (Round 17).

 

St Kilda faces an in-form Bulldogs side that have won their last three games and six of their past seven fixtures, including last weekend’s trip to Cairns against the Gold Coast Suns.

Luke Beveridge’s side won’t have All Australian forward Jake Stringer this week after the explosive spearhead suffered a shoulder injury in a collision with Gold Coast key defender Steven May.

Although the Western Bulldogs will be strengthened by the return of 2014 Charles Sutton medallist Tom Liberatore, after the midfielder overcame rib damage, following a knee to the rib cage in a marking contest with Richmond’s Jayden Short in Round 16.

St Kilda has named one of their more experienced sides of the season, with Jade Gresham the only first-year player and Jack Sinclair and Daniel McKenzie the only second-year players.

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