Head of List Management James Gallagher says St Kilda will prioritise this year’s National Draft ahead of what is anticipated to be a quieter Trade Period compared to previous seasons.
After recruiting established talents Dougal Howard, Bradley Hill, Jack Higgins, Zak Jones and Dan Butler among others over the past four trade periods, the Saints’ will shift their focus back to feeding in high-end talent through the draft.
St Kilda currently holds pick No. 9 ahead of this year’s National Draft – likely to be bumped out to pick No. 10 with the father-son selection of Marcus Ashcroft to Brisbane – and remains adamant in retaining that selection.
It will be the club’s first top-10 selection since Max King (2018), with last season’s first-round draft pick Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera bumped to pick No. 11 following the signings of father-son recruits Nick Daicos and Sam Darcy to Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs respectively.
“We certainly have no intention of trading that out,” Gallagher told AFL Trade Radio this morning of the club's first round pick.
“One of our key priorities for us this year is to make sure we maximise our early draft picks for good.
“Two or three years ago we didn’t pick early in the draft. We really needed to improve our list and get it up to a point where we thought it was good, improving and really capable."
While the plan for this year’s first-round selection is clear-cut, the potential acquisition of free agent Jordan De Goey remains unknown as he weighs up his future as either a Magpie or Saint.
St Kilda has engaged in numerous conversations with De Goey and his management over the past few months, with a decision on his future expected to be made and announced in the coming days.
De Goey’s football ability in big games and moments sits as one of the most enticing prospects for Gallagher and the Saints.
“We’ve got a good list and a lot of good players, with a few at the top-end… but our priorities are to improve that real top-end of our list whether that’s through trade, free agency or through the draft,” Gallagher said.
“We think that Jordan could do that for us and complement our group really well. He’s an exceptional player, he’s a big-game player and he’s got plenty of footy in front of him.
“We think he’d work in well with our group and our club, but he is a Collingwood player. He’s been there a long time and he’s got some pretty strong relationships there, so it’s a big decision for him and I think we’ll all know a bit more in the next couple of days.”
Gallagher also addressed trade rumours surrounding Bradley Hill and Hunter Clark to North Melbourne, saying the club would be “really reluctant” to offload the contracted pair.
Clark has been heavily impacted by injury over the past two years with separate jaw, face and shoulder injuries to play just 21 out of a possible 44 games, while Gallagher expects some personnel and game-plan “tweaks” will allow Hill – three years into a five-year deal – the reach his best in 2023 and beyond.
The Saints will lose Ben Long after his request to be traded to Gold Coast however, with both Jack Bowes and pick No. 7 linked to the outgoing half-back.
Gallagher said the club would remain “open-minded” about receiving either players or picks as part of a potential trade, provided it aligns with its short and long-term list strategy.
Earlier this morning, St Kilda confirmed one-year contract extensions for Mason Wood, Tom Highmore, Tom Campbell and Jack Peris.
