The two logical reasons St Kilda dropped out of the race to recruit Lachie Neale
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon’s early declaration on Saturday that his club would not pursue Brisbane’s unrestricted free agent Lachie Neale because they are “not in a position to do it with our young midfield and what we are trying to do and commit and sign” can be interpreted in different ways.
The most obvious one is the Saints growing confidence in their relatively young midfield, with 24-year-old Max Hall, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, 23, Hugo Garcia, 21, and 20-year-old Darcy Wilson developing well in that key part of the ground.
The out-of-contract Wilson is, like Wanganeen-Milera last year, driving his price up every week as he produces a consistent season after an up-and-down 2025 where he played VFL and wondered whether St Kilda was the club for him to flourish.
Despite the phone ringing off the hook from clubs interested in him, he appears likely to extend his time at the Saints, who secured Cooper Sharman earlier this season and are on track to lock in Alex Dodson as out-of-contract priorities.
Although the Saints’ salary cap position is not known for certain and clubs can juggle their spending to free up space from year to year, the other potential conclusion to draw from their lack of interest in Neale is that the Saints don’t need any more big contracts on their books when they start negotiating to keep Wanganeen-Milera, Garcia and Hall beyond 2027.
They had to pay over the odds to keep Wanganeen-Milera until the end of 2027, with his eventual $2 million-a-season price tag putting pressure on their salary ca, particularly in light of their aggressive pursuit of big-dollar free agents Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni and efforts to trade in Sam Flanders and Liam Ryan.
That adds to the intrigue of their upcoming negotiations ahead of 2027, as there is little doubt at least one of the South Australian clubs will have the cap room – and the desire – to chase Wanganeen-Milera again next year.
Sources from other clubs also believe Lyon’s early declaration that they were out of the Neale race helped remind their own playing list what the club’s list priorities were after offers last year caused star full-back Callum Wilkie to ask a few questions as the Western Bulldogs circled.
Wilkie eventually received a boost to his deal at the Saints to reflect his All-Australian performances.
It shows the Saints, now on the improve under Lyon, want their young midfield group to grow together and will attempt to fill list needs as they reveal themselves through the course of the season.
They are likely to fill those needs through natural development, the draft or by picking the eyes out of talent from other clubs that may not be as high-profile as their Carlton signings were last season.
A running defender is one of the needs given Wanganeen-Milera’s move into the midfield, but they have Tobie Travaglia and Lance Collard potentially coming through in that role (having their own VFL team helps this process). Adding midfield depth is always a consideration.
Some high half-backs who are being starved of opportunity elsewhere include Hawthorn’s Bailey Macdonald, the Lions’ Shadeau Brain, Geelong’s Jhye Clark and Collingwood’s Wil Parker.
Walter off the market
Jed Walter’s decision to remain with the Suns for three more seasons has eased some pressure on the Gold Coast as he rejected a significant offer from Essendon and interest from other Victorian clubs to remain in Queensland.
The Suns are struggling to convince Ben King to remain, with the Hawks making a play for the restricted free agent, who has kicked just six goals in his past four matches amid speculation about his future. The club was initially certain they would match any offer made for him, but the lower they fall on the ladder the more they have to weigh up in relation to whether what they get in return might be improved.
Carlton are also in the market for a tall forward, with Sydney’s Joel Amartey’s status as an unrestricted free agent making him an attractive prospect for clubs, as is Hawthorn’s Mitch Lewis. Out-of-contract Giant Max Gruzewski has an offer from his club, but has attracted interest from Victorian clubs.
Walter’s call also shows how tough it is for clubs at the bottom of the ladder to attract top players from other clubs, with Essendon in the position North Melbourne found themselves in a couple of seasons back.
The Bombers will need to use their enormous salary cap space to retain talent, as they did when they extended Nate Caddy until the end of 2031, in the short term as top-end players do not want to entertain a move there while they remain so far off the pace.
Lions wait to hear the Marshall plan
Lions’ midfielder Sam Marshall has certainly had St Kilda eyes on him during VFL games, with most clubs trying to assess his value as he continues to be overlooked for senior selection in Brisbane.
Marshall’s form in the VFL has picked up in the past month, but the opportunities to move into the AFL have not yet opened up as the club’s injury list has reduced significantly since the bye.
The 20-year-old has played two matches this season after being a premiership player last season in his first year. He was subbed off at half-time as the Lions introduced Lachie Neale into the game. He was a member of the Lions’ academy but spent time at school in Victoria.
The Lions’ Will McLachlan has also been starved of opportunities, and has attracted interest in his home state, Victoria. Hailing from the state’s south-west, he has kicked four goals in seven appearances since being a mid-season selection.
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