NICK Riewoldt ''absolutely'' wants to remain as St Kilda captain and only if the Saints deem it in their best interests will he relinquish the role he so cherishes.
Even more encouraging for Saints fans is the progress Riewoldt's troublesome left knee has made since surgery last September and still has to make before the 29-year-old begins his 12th season.
Riewoldt could not have been firmer yesterday in backing the process that has allowed teammates to audition for the captaincy since the arrival of new coach Scott Watters in October. But the five-times best and fairest was just as strong on his desire to keep the job.
''It's a position I have the utmost respect for and one that I've held with a lot of pride,'' said Riewoldt, the Saints' longest-serving skipper since Danny Frawley.
''I just think it's a fantastic thing that the club is doing, giving everyone the opportunity to stand up and grow and mature as leaders,'' he said. ''Whatever comes out of it, I'll support 100 per cent. If that's me as captain again, then absolutely I'll cherish the job.''
Riewoldt first became captain in 2005, lost the role to Luke Ball in 2006 under a rotation policy and then shared the job with Ball and Lenny Hayes in 2007 before being made sole skipper from 2008 on.
If they knew anything of an official decision, neither Riewoldt nor Watters were hinting yesterday, although the coach said an announcement would be made just before the club's first NAB Cup games on February 24.
Riewoldt is confident his knee will get at least one hit-out in the NAB Cup, but he pointed out that playing pre-season games had not been a necessity for him in the past.
Hayes is a chance to make his return from a knee reconstruction in the NAB Cup, Watters said, which at the very least is a sign that the 32-year-old could be ready for round one.
A bronzed and fresh-looking Riewoldt trained without strapping on his weight-bearing knee yesterday and the newly engaged star is said to be in a far better mental space this pre-season, free of the ''St Kilda schoolgirl'' saga that dogged his last campaign.
''You are determined every year, but coming back to training this year it's obviously a different dynamic,'' he said.
It was a degenerative knee problem last year that mostly kept Riewoldt well below his All-Australian standards, particularly in the second half of games where it's believed his knee seized up and limited his impact, not to mention statistics, after half-time.
But the knee is now pain-free and feeling ''really good'', said Riewoldt, who has been back in full training after Christmas.
Defender James Gwilt, recovering from the knee reconstruction he had in July last year, is the only Saints player in the injury group, apart from Daniel Archer, who will return to full training next week from a hamstring complaint.
Fellow All-Australian Brendon Goddard is coming out of contract and his vulnerability to a cashed-up raid from Greater Western Sydney is likely to be a talking point all season.
Riewoldt said he was confident that Goddard would stay with St Kilda and was sure the constant speculation would not affect his performance this year.
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