ST KILDA Chief Operating Officer Ameet Bains has confirmed the club is interested in acquiring Collingwood speedster Nathan Freeman, but has maintained there is still ‘plenty of work to be done’ before the 2013 no.10 Draft pick can wear the red, white and black.
In a wide-ranging interview with ABC Grandstand radio on Saturday afternoon, Bains also discussed the merit of trading future draft picks, the club’s list management strategy and philosophically whether increased player movement is good for the game.
But it was 20-year-old Freeman, who last week nominated St Kilda as his club of choice, which dominated the discussion.
“It was something from our end that developed quite late and there is still quite a bit to work through given things a pretty fresh,” Bains explained.
“We were an interested onlooker as Collingwood and his management group tried to navigate a contract situation with him.
“In the last couple of weeks there was an opportunity to get involved and speak to Nathan [Freeman]. It’s culminated in his decision to want to leave Collingwood.
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The AFL Trade Period does not commence until the morning of Monday October 12, a fact Bains suggested was important to consider when evaluating the specifics of the trade.
“From our point of view, we’d rather not speculate [on what the trade will be] on the basis that we are yet to speak to Collingwood,” he said.
“There is a bit to work through and work to be done.”
St Kilda had three first round draft picks in 2013, selecting Jack Billings with pick no.3, Luke Dunstan with no.18 and Blake Acres with 19.
The potential addition of Freeman, who the Saints looked at closely two years ago before he was eventually snapped up by Collingwood, would mean the club would have four first round selections from 2013.
Despite hamstring issues over the past two years, Bains was confident Freeman at his best would be a significant addition to the Saints engine room.
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“From a draft point of view, we certainly knew him quite well. We are well across all of the guys in that first part of that draft given the selections we had,” he said.
“He is a player who has explosive pace through the midfield, which is a need for us in terms of that outside run. Outside of Jack Steven, most of the guys don’t tend to have that breakaway line-breaking pace that Nathan has got. His attributes complement us.
“We’re confident that any player we bring into our club will have passed a medical test satisfactorily and certainly they will be someone that the club will be seeking to play for a long period of time.”
Regardless of what happens with Freeman, or any other trade for that matter, Bains said the club would not deviate from its clear list management plan – to stockpile elite young talent.
“Any decision we make through this trade period, won’t compromise that longer term strategy,” he said.
Freeman played four VFL games in two seasons at Collingwood due to persistent hamstring injuries. He was drafted from the Sandringham Dragons and played Vic Metro football with Jack Billings.
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The top 10 picks from the 2013 National Draft. Billings (bottom right) and Freeman (top row second from the right).
