St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis has hailed the club’s Trade Period as a game-changer after five big names landed at RSEA Park.
The Saints secured star midfielder Bradley Hill and young guns Dougal Howard and Zak Jones, along with experienced Power big man Paddy Ryder and premiership forward Dan Butler.
Finnis said finalising the deals yesterday signalled a significant shift for the club’s list that can set the club on a path to success.
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“We know off the back of this season that the young talent on our list is really strong,” he said.
“But we also identified areas that needed to be addressed through this period.
It was pleasing to have five quality players nominate the club as their preferred destination, and incredibly satisfying for everyone involved at St Kilda to secure them all.
“Thanks to the hard work and creativity of our List Management team, we finished the Trade Period in a stronger position that will allow us to attack the 2020 season.
“Bradley Hill is an elite player who adds so much to our side with his run and carry.
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Zak Jones is another line-breaker with his best football still ahead of him, while Dougal Howard has the talent to become one of the game’s premier key defenders.
“Paddy Ryder provides experience, versatility and depth to our big man stocks, and we see him playing a crucial role supporting, and playing in tandem with Rowan Marshall.
“Dan Butler fills a specific need, with our coaching team led by Brett Ratten identifying his speed and aerobic capacity as an important addition to our forward line.
“As is the nature of the trade period, making such a significant shift resulted in Josh Bruce and Blake Acres finding new homes in 2020.
“The club was also in a position to help Jack Steven make the move to Geelong, with his health and wellbeing the priority.”
View this post on InstagramJack Steven has been traded to Geelong. Thanks for the memories, Stuv ❤️ Details in our story.
Finnis said the recruitment would complement the young talent brought in through the draft in recent years.
“We have recently welcomed a number of talented top-end draftees, led by Max King and Hunter Clark, but this also resulted in us regularly being one of the youngest sides in 2019,” he said.
The players we have brought in over the past 10 days complement our group perfectly, with a great spread of age and experience, and most importantly, a lot of talent.
“Now that we’ve secured five crucial signatures, we will be chasing yours as we look to climb above the ambitious target of 50,000 members next season.”
Are you with St Kilda in 2020?
The Trade Period follows the appointment of Ratten, Hawks legend Jarryd Roughead and coaching guru David Rath.
It’s an exciting time at the football club, and we would love your commitment as we look to climb the ladder in 2020.
