AFL Richmond v St Kilda: News and analysis from Friday night clash

Injury-ravaged St Kilda has suffered another blow in the minutes before Friday night’s clash with Richmond, losing Jack Billings after a setback in the warm-up.

Both teams were as selected an hour before the first bounce at the MCG, which has welcomed back fans for the first time in several weeks.

However, Billings copped a knock to his right knee and was unable to play.

Nick Coffield, who was originally dropped this week, has scored a reprieve for the Saints, with Leo Connolly upgraded to the medical substitute for his AFL debut.

Billings played with a torn plantar fascia in the corresponding Round 5 match against the Tigers in mid-April, also after hurting himself in the warm-up.

The 25-year-old restricted free agent has required injections to play through the injury in recent weeks.

The Saints had already lost Hunter Clark (broken jaw) and Jack Bytel (concussion) from their last match against Adelaide before the bye and have one of the competition’s longest injury lists.