Riewoldt loss hasn't ended St Kilda's chances, yet!

Justin Koschitzke of St Kilda (R) consoles Nick Riewoldt (C) after the AFL Round 20 match between the Essendon Bombers and the St Kilda Saints at the Docklands Stadium. Slattery Images

If Nick Riewoldt is to be believed, Nick Riewoldt will be back playing for St Kilda before the finals. Whether that will actually happen or not is another story.

Whilst Riewoldt seemed pretty adamant of how things will play out in his press conference yesterday, the line of club doctor Tim Barbour that they were aiming for “the latter parts of the minor rounds” indicates there won’t be much room for any hiccups or complications.

Either way, whether he makes it back or not, the hamstring tear sets up an intriguing situation for the Saints. For the majority of the home and away season, at the least, they are going to have to do without their captain, their star key forward and the man most consider their most important player.

For a club that – let’s face it – had a pretty decent run with injuries last year, it’s going to be an interesting challenge.

Can they remain a force without Riewoldt? Who will kick the goals to compensate for the absence of Riewoldt? Who will stand up instead of Riewoldt? Do they have the depth if there are more injuries to key players like Riewoldt?

It’s a huge test, don’t worry about that.

But despite all the question marks one is able to throw up, we’d be doing the Saints an enormous disservice to write them off so quickly. You’d still back them to finish top four. You’d still like their chances of another minor premiership, too.

Riewoldt is only one man and whilst his absence will have an effect, St Kilda are too good a football team to let one solitary injury derail a season.

Besides, in a week they get Justin Koschitzke back from suspension, so it’s not like they’ll be bereft of a key forward. Plus it’ll give some of their underperforming smaller forwards a chance to step up.

On top of that they’ve got Michael Gardiner, who can kick a few. Given fellow ruckman Ben McEvoy is now pushing for senior selection, it’s a likely scenario. Then there’s the likes of Brendan Goddard, Sam Fisher and Sam Gilbert, who, although valuable elsewhere, have shown in the past their ability to push forward and at the very least present Ross Lyon with options.

Neither of the above can play the role Riewoldt plays to the same effect as Riewoldt, mind you. But for a side with so much talent across the park, they at least allow the team to get by in his absence and, more likely than not, finish high enough on the ladder to be a strong contender come finals.

And if that happens, and Nick Riewoldt rides on in at the eleventh hour – à la a few of Geelong’s stars last year – then there may yet be a happy ending for the Saints.

The problem with that picture, however, is the whole Riewoldt riding on in at the eleventh hour part.

As stated above, with the time frame the Saints are talking about, there doesn’t appear to be much room for any complications. If complications do occur, the Saints face a finals campaign without Riewoldt.

Whilst surviving the home and away season is one thing, it is much harder to get by without such an important player in September.

So even though talk of a sudden St Kilda demise is over the top, Saints fans should be keeping a very close eye on their captain’s recovery.

If it drags on too long, that’s when it will hurt the most.