Alan Richardson and the match committee at Linen House Centre are in for a long deliberation over selection before finalising their Round 1 side against Melbourne, says new skipper Jarryn Geary.
Competition for spots has never been more hotly contested during Richardson’s tenure at the club, with the arrival of fresh faces and the continued emergence of youngsters raising the depth and talent pool at the club.
Speaking at his first appearance at AFL Captain’s Day, Geary said the selection conundrum is a problem every side wants to have as it increases the importance of performing each and every week.
“It’s going to be a massive headache for ‘Richo’ all week,” Geary told saints.com.au at the MCG on Thursday.
“He’ll probably be swapping the magnets over a few times with a few different positions but it’s just really healthy for the group.
“It means if blokes aren’t performing their role week in week out there’s going to be someone else who can fill the void.
“It’s a really good position to be in, we probably haven’t been in that strong a position for a few years now but it’s something we’re really happy to be in at this time of year.”
Geary, who was appointed as Nick Riewoldt’s successor last month as part of a new eight-man leadership group, said he has taken on a handful of wider football club responsibilities since his appointment.
And just like he will with football department issues, the 2016 Trevor Barker Award runner-up indicated he will lean on Riewoldt when it comes to coping with the added demands of his new role.
“I’ve had some extra responsibilities, attended a few more events like this one and a few others along the way,” Geary said.
“Ten years is a long time to do it and he did it with ease in terms of not showing us some of the stuff behind the scenes.
“I’m still going to have things that are thrown my way that I’m going to learn and there are going to be challenges thrown my way that ‘Rooey’s’ obviously dealt with for ten years, so I’ll be tapping him on the shoulder every now and then and asking him some questions.”
