ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon has revealed out-of-sorts forward Fraser Gehrig has arthritis in his hands and admitted the game's changing face is making it difficult for Gehrig to stage a successful comeback to football.

Gehrig, who retired at the end of last season, was left out of the Saints' line-up for their past two matches. But Lyon yesterday said the "G-Train" could soon be back on track and was in contention to be selected for this weekend's match against Richmond at Telstra Dome.

"He's got a very good record against Richmond, so he'll come under strong consideration," Lyon said.

"His hands are an issue. His hands are very arthritic and sore and affecting his ball handling. Probably in the off-season in the warmth, they feel good, but it's pretty cold in Melbourne."

Lyon said Gehrig's arthritic hands were a continuing problem and said the illness was making it difficult for the forward to pick the ball up off the ground.

Lyon said Gehrig was struggling to adapt to the changing style of football, particularly the decrease of one-on-one contests in the forward 50 arc.

"Fraser talks about the changes and why it's difficult for him to go on," Lyon said. "He said, 'In 2004 I used to stand at full-forward, Nick Riewoldt used to lead up just outside 50, turn around and kick it to me one-on-one'.

"He said, 'That hasn't been the case for a few years now. I wish it was, but it's not.' "

Lyon was also quick to defend midfielder Nick Dal Santo, who has faced criticism recently, particularly after a below-par performance against Port Adelaide last Saturday night and heavy tagging.

"I have lost no faith in Nick Dal Santo whatsoever. He's a really integral part of our midfield and we expect him to play really well on Saturday night," Lyon said.

"I thought John Worsfold put the agenda on the table in that star midfielders get a lot of attention and not as much protection as the star forwards. Clearly, Nick Dal Santo gets a lot of attention."

Lyon admitted he was fiercely protective of his players and said this instinct had been one of the reasons why he has been perceived as a poor media performer.

Yesterday, Lyon was notably upbeat and even jocular during his 35-minute press conference, at which he again fielded questions relating to his game plan, which has been criticised recently as being too "Sydney-like".

Critics — including Lyon's predecessor Grant Thomas — say he is adopting a "lock-down" style of play that the Saints are not able to execute.

Lyon disagrees.

"A lot of people like to talk about footy in abstract terms," he said. "And when football games are won and lost, they like to talk about tactics and game plans but the reality is football's won with effort.

"It is about effort and intensity. Not too often do you lose a game purely on turnovers and skill level.

"The great teams are defined by team spirit and effort."

Lyon used Richmond as an example. He said people continue to comment on the Tigers' improved effort and spirit, not their change in game plan.