Nathan Freeman's never-ending wait for an AFL debut will run for at least another week.
St Kilda coach Alan Richardson doubts the injury-plagued midfielder will be picked for Saturday's away game against GWS.
There has been growing speculation this month that Freeman is on the verge of senior selection.
"He's close, but he's not quite ready," Richardson told AFL360.
"Physically he's right to go, but he just needs to be really confident in his body and let himself go - get to another level in terms of his dynamic play, which is his one-wood.
"He's not quite there yet, but he's getting closer."
Richardson then was asked if Freeman will debut this season.
"Certainly that's the plan, but he'll play when he's ready to play and right now, he's not quite ready to go," he said.
A succession of hamstring injuries have cruelled his time in the AFL system so far and earlier this season he also was sidelined with a shoulder problem.
Collingwood recruited Freeman with the No.10 pick in the 2013 draft and he was traded to St Kilda two years later.
