St Kilda has made one change for its Round 14 meeting with GWS at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, bringing Dan Butler back into the side after a hamstring injury and leaving Mattaes Phillipou out of the main team.

The match starts at 3:15pm AEST and will be shown live on 7, Fox Footy and Kayo, so the selection call lands exactly when St Kilda needs clarity on its next step. Butler has not been rushed back. He returns after recovering from the injury he suffered against the Blues in Round 8, then backed up his case with a strong outing for St Kilda's VFL side in a win over the Swans, where he collected 23 disposals and kicked the game-sealing goal.

That is the weight behind the move. Butler is back because he has shown he is ready, and St Kilda is asking for a lift from a player who can influence a game at both ends of the ground. The club is also trying to bounce back and claim its sixth win of the year, which gives this selection more bite than a routine reshuffle.

Phillipou's omission sharpens the decision. He has been named an emergency alongside Hugh Boxshall and Alex Dodson, which means St Kilda has chosen Butler over a player who is still in the frame if something changes late. In plain terms, the one change is a swap at selection, and the consequence is that Butler takes the place in the side while Phillipou waits on the outside.

There are other items around the squad, including Campbell Lake's AFL debut less than two weeks after joining the Saints list and Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw's one-year contract extension through to the end of 2027, but the immediate story is simpler. St Kilda has settled its Round 14 team, Butler is back, and the next answer comes on Sunday afternoon when the Saints line up against GWS at Marvel Stadium.