Mattaes Phillipou is hibernating through the depths of a bleak Melbourne winter but St Kilda hope he will feature in the AFL again in 2025.
The young gun has only played four senior games this season. He was recalled for last month's game against Collingwood, but was shattered when he aggravated a lower-leg injury in the warm up just minutes before the first bounce.
The 20-year-old midfielder has not played since as he overcomes the plantaris tendon injury in his calf.
"Mattaes is making ground. We're going to be really cautious with him," coach Ross Lyon said before Friday training.
"The plantaris, he said, is good, but it's been a frustrating year for him.
"I'm optimistic he'll play, I just put him to sleep a bit - checked in, spoke to him the other day."
Along with Phillipou's ongoing injury problems, key forward Max King will not play this season because of repeat knee surgeries.
Now veteran defender Jimmy Webster is also out for a month with a calf strain.
Amid another tough season for the Saints - they are 15th and will miss the finals again - Phillipou's perspective has impressed his coach.
"He's handled it really well. As frustrated as he is, he just knows it's really good learnings for him," Lyon said.
"His mindset, and this is what is impressive about him - it's an opportunity to learn, it's an opportunity to grow.
"(He thinks) 'In my three years, I've experienced a lot of things in AFL footy - boomed along, struggled for form, went back, rebuilt himself, in the midfield, have a great summer, then out of the blue, not really in your control, injuries'.
"He's learned all of those things. In a brief period of time, it's compressed a lot of the experiences you can have in the AFL."
Lyon was also impressed that Phillipou met a young fan from country Shepparton who visited the club and wanted to meet him.
"He gave him time," Lyon said.
While the Saints have lost their last four games, they pushed Hawthorn last weekend and loom as a dangerous opponent for Sydney on Sunday at Marvel Stadium.
The Swans maintain slim finals hopes in 10th spot, three games plus percentage outside the top eight.
Lyon laughed ruefully when asked if he had any empathy for the Swans' first-year coach Dean Cox.
"I didn't get too much empathy either (in my first year), it's a dog-eat-dog world. Good luck everyone," he said.
"The coaching cohort, we eat our own, but deep down there's a mutual respect. The empathy is ... we understand.
"They're the mortal enemy on the weekend."
