LUCKLESS St Kilda forward Paddy McCartin might not play again in 2017 as he deals with a lingering concussion he is yet to completely overcome.

McCartin, 21, was concussed in late June while playing VFL and hasn't been seen on the field since. It was the sixth concussion he had suffered since 2014.

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said at Moorabbin on Saturday there was no set date for McCartin to take the field again.

"There's no timeline. It's when he's right. He could play again (this year), he might not play again. That's completely in the hands of the doctors," Richardson said.

The Saints have been impressed with how the 2014 No.1 draft pick has trained, with his running having improved in his time off. However, he is yet to receive clearance from the doctors to return.

"He's been going really well. He's doing a lot of training. It'd be fair to say that he hasn't quite ticked a couple of boxes from a medical perspective," Richardson said.

"It's gone a little bit slower, the last bit. We won't take any risk at all there. We wouldn't with any player that has an issue with concussion."

Tough onballer David Armitage faces a similar situation. Having come back from two groin operations a couple of weeks ago through Sandringham, he missed last week and won't play in Saturday's clash with the Casey Demons at Trevor Barker Oval.

"(It's) not dissimilar (to McCartin) really. We're really hopeful and we probably did push that one a little bit to just give us and to give Dave the best opportunity to get some games in so that we potentially had the option to be able to bring him in," Richardson said.

"We had a VFL game and he was reasonably positive in that game.

"(He) pulled up pretty sore, more general soreness than anything. Right now, he won't play again this weekend so we'll reassess where Dave's at."

Meanwhile, Nick Riewoldt's retirement announcement last Monday will have no bearing on the future of Leigh Montagna.

"Those conversations are ongoing with Joey. They're completely separate," Richardson said.

Montagna suffered a right hamstring injury two weeks against against Sydney and could return if St Kilda makes finals.

The Saints sit in 11th spot with a 9-9 record. They face West Coast at Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.