Caroline Wilson has lauded St Kilda’s management of Tim Membrey’s late ‘personal health’ withdrawal from their elimination final loss to the GWS Giants on Saturday.
Membrey was taken out of the line-up that went down to the Giants by 24 points, with St Kilda releasing a statement confirming he was “receiving appropriate care” for a “personal health matter”, meaning Anthony Caminiti received a late call-up.
Wilson threw her support behind the club after the “terrible blow”.
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“Internally, the club are just asking the question ‘could we have handled it differently? Could we have handled it better?’ – I don’t think there’s much that they probably could’ve done,” Wilson said on 9news on Monday.
“They’re asking themselves ‘were we right to go with a player outside the selected team, should we have just brought in Dougal Howard and kept it (Membrey’s situation) quiet?’. But they decided to tell Dave Matthews, go to the AFL, bring in Caminiti.
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“They’re not making excuses. I don’t think they would’ve won the game, but it was a terrible blow and it certainly affected some players who were in shock.”
Wilson detailed the events leading up to the match, confirming players and their families were shaken up hearing the news.
“I think Membrey’s wife had contacted partners of other players, so some players got to the ground knowing and not knowing how bad it really was,” Wilson said.
“It was obviously very upsetting to a number of Tim’s teammates so soon before the game, a big final.
“There’s no doubt that it had a big impact on the club.”
Amidst the recovery from their heartbreaking finals departure at the hands of the Giants, St Kilda held their exit interviews on Monday, with Wilson confirming Membrey’s shock omission was the main topic of conversation.
”I think some players have suggested to the coaches it (Membrey’s situation) threw them a bit,” Wilson said.
“But I think in the end, they did the right thing.”
Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes was also quick to applaud the Saints’ navigation through the difficult situation.
“They shouldn’t be too hard on themselves. This is a situation that they’ve rarely ever been in before. I thought they handled it with care,” Cornes said on Footy Classified.
As for Membrey, Wilson confirmed he is receiving the appropriate support, endorsed by the league.
“Tim Membrey … is now under the care of the AFL’s mental health umbrella,” Wilson said.
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