3 minute read

St Kilda suffered a difficult loss to Richmond first-up in the AFLW but coach Nick Dal Santo is confident they can quickly move on.

Coach Nick Dal Santo is confident St Kilda can quickly shrug off a disappointing, COVID-disrupted start to the AFLW season.

The Saints suffered a 38-point loss to Richmond first-up on Friday night.

They were without vice-captain Kate Shierlaw, who confirmed on Twitter she'd tested positive to COVID-19, Nicola Xenos and Molly McDonald through the league's health and safety protocols.

Dal Santo hoped Xenos and Shierlaw would be cleared to face Collingwood in round two.

"We're going to be faced with these challenges," Dal Santo said.

"I just had a brief chat to a couple of the coaches from Richmond as well. We're all going to go through it and it's like society.

"We're all going through it at the moment and our ability to ride those out and to accept and support those players that are missing games for certain reasons, but knowing if you dwell on it for too long you miss your next opportunity.

"It's unfortunate to have them both (Shierlaw and Xenos) out.

"Kate's in our leadership group, she's obviously a really good player for us as well, gives us really good structure in front of the football and bit of a beacon when we are under pressure but the reality is she wasn't here and we knew that a couple of days ago.

"So we move on. We don't dwell on it. We just get ready for next week."

Meanwhile, Dal Santo was confident the Saints' makeshift midfield would build as the season progressed.

Richmond star Monique Conti blitzed St Kilda's midfield on Friday night but Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Tarni White and Olivia Vesely impressed.

The Saints are without Georgia Patrikios indefinitely due to her reluctance to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, while Tyanna Smith (ACL) is out for the season.

"I had no concerns with our midfield mix," Dal Santo said.

"We also had Rosie Dillon that has come back after a severe injury last year and has missed a large chunk of football, Liv Vesely comes back into the team as a younger player that just needs more football.

"Tarni White had an opportunity tonight, we had Tilly as well go through there.

"I have complete confidence and trust in that particular group. They came up against a really good midfield. That's the reality.

"We've been training four to five months and done some really good things and improved. But when you come up against a good outfit that has a really good system you get challenged and we got exposed at times."