Classy St Kilda midfielder Nick Dal Santo is the shock victim of Saints' coach Ross Lyon's new-found youth policy after being sensationally axed for Friday night's must win clash against Fremantle at Telstra Dome.
Dal Santo's axing comes despite him averaging 22 disposals per game this season and comes just three years after he ran third in the 2005 Brownlow Medal.
His shock omission also ends a run of 114 consecutive matches for the Saints dating back to Round 15, 2003.
Just last season Dal Santo was again the Saints' leading votegetter in the Brownlow Medal and finished fourth in the club's best and fairest and he gathered 28 disposals in the win over Melbourne just a fortnight ago.
However Dal Santo struggled during last week's loss in Sydney - which left the Saints a game adrift of Carlton in the race for eighth spot - with just 17 disposals.
And it appears the reason for his axing is his recent lack of 'one percenters' after Lyon forecast on Wednesday that he would be turning to younger players in the wake of the club's disappointing season to date.
"Those that perform and carry out the behaviours expected of them by their team-mates will stay in the team and those that don't will have an opportunity to go back to Casey (in the VFL) and work on that and provide them with solutions to get back in," Lyon said.
Asked what he meant by 'behaviours', Lyon said: "Just what every AFL team would want - to compete and when you've got to chase, chase, and when you've got to go, go, and be selfless for the team."
Lyon was true to his word of turning to young players with three first gamers named for Friday night's clash in ruckman Ben McEvoy - who will partner Steven King in the absence of Michael Gardiner and Justin Koschitzke - as well as well as Robert Eddy and forward Jarryd Allen.
Allen's opportunity arose after the Saints lost goalsneak Adam Schneider to injury and also lost patience with the inconsistent Stephen Milne, who has kicked just two goals in the past two matches.
The Dockers, coming off just their second win for the season, made no change.
Collingwood named Anthony Rocca but he remains doubtful with an ankle injury for Sunday's clash against the high-flying Western Bulldogs.
But the Pies are desperate to have Rocca available given the loss of Travis Cloke to suspension and the