Returning forwards, kicking boots and the in-form Crows.

Hear all the latest from Ross Lyon as the Saints begin preparations for Sunday's clash with the Crows at Adelaide Oval.

Return of the King?

The pending return of Max King was the question on everyone’s lips this morning.

Unsighted in 2023 after undergoing shoulder surgery in December, King looms as a significant addition when he pulls the red, white and black on once again. But where and when that will be is still to be decided, with King to still make it through today and Friday's main training blocks before entering the selection frame at any level.

Ross says… “He’s (King) going to train today and Friday, then we’ll have match committee and make a decision. If there’s any doubt on him, we won’t consider him.

“He’s really tall so we could do with a bit of height. Anthony Caminiti and Zaine Cordy come available as well…it’s a nice problem to have.”

Goalkicking issues? Not here.

Sunday night’s low-scoring slog against North Melbourne wasn’t one for the history books, but Ross isn’t disheartened by what he saw.

St Kilda’s accuracy in front of goal has been much-improved this season, ranking second in the AFL despite their 8.16 score line in Round 8.

The Boss says they’ve moved on quickly from the dour affair.

Ross says… “We’ve been pretty good all year at finishing our work, I’ve been proud of that. We’ve put that (kicking against the Roos) in the bin, we’re trying to move on.

“We tackled really well, defended the ground really well and I feel like we’re forcing teams to change the way they play, so that’s a win for us.”

Huge Sunday challenge ahead

Adelaide have been one of the biggest improvers through the early stages of 2023 and present a huge challenge on their home deck.

The Saints’ elite defensive setup, ranked first in the league for restricting scores by a long margin, will be tested against a star-studded forward half featuring the likes of Izak Rankine, Josh Rachele and Darcy Fogarty.

Ross knows his troops will need to be at their best.

Ross says… “They’ve (Adelaide) been incredibly competitive. They’re hard, they’re tough, they spread.

“You can’t sneak your way forward in AFL footy, so we’re up for the challenge. We accept the challenge and we’re going to lean into it.

“We’ve been incredibly competitive against everyone we play, so we expect the same this week.”

All eyes on improvement

The improvement of youth plus the possible availability of Jack Billings, Jimmy Webster, Zak Jones and King in the coming weeks should be cause for optimism at Moorabbin.

But a positive win-loss ratio to start the year hasn’t moved the goalposts for Lyon, who’s still fixed on the incremental gains and developing a deep understanding of his playing group.

Ross says… “It’s a year of exploration - I’m still understanding the list. We’ve got some lads playing in the seconds that are coming on and some senior players returning like Jack Billings. You’re only as good as your next moment. You’ve never arrived in this business.

“Our aim is continuous improvement and our feedback over the last period of time is that we need to improve. We think we’ve made some gains but we’ve got plenty of opportunities in front of us."

Great signs for JB

And just on Billings, a promising three-week block has him edging closer towards a senior return.

The left-footer collected 22 touches, 11 marks and five tackles in difficult conditions in the VFL over the weekend, his third game back since returning from a stress fracture.

Ross says… “He played his first full game on the weekend. It’s been months without a full game or full training.

“He’s still building. We communicate heavily with our players and map out plans for them, so he’s got to put a body of work together now.”