St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena issues warning to AFL over compromised 2025 draft

The Saints have made no secrets of their concerns with the state of the AFL Draft and CEO Carl Dilena has warned the league it faces the prospect of falling into an EPL-style hole where only big clubs can win.

Jon Ralph

@RalphyHeraldSun

5 min read

August 10, 2025 - 4:37PM

News Sport Network

St Kilda

Don't miss out on the headlines from St Kilda. Followed categories will be added to My News.

St Kilda and Geelong club chiefs have stepped up their campaign for a pure first round of the national draft as the Saints face the disastrous prospect of losing a top-10 pick given their recent run of victories.

Saints chief executive Carl Dilena has issued the AFL with a dramatic ‘fix it now’ message as he warned footy was in danger of following the English Premier League where only some clubs could win the flag.

St Kilda sat fourth-last after round 19 but has a trio of recent wins and after climbing to 11th on the ladder will likely extend that run against Essendon next week.

In the defeat of Richmond they jumped three ladder places alone and ahead of a Carlton side that will likely secure a Tom De Koning free agency compensation pick linked to their ladder finish.

St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

St Kilda last year’s draft hand was compromised by academy and father son bids for Levi Ashcroft and Leo Lombard which meant they secured picks eight and 10.

Currently with pick eight on ladder position, they will be pushed back by as many as six picks.

There are three potential first-round compensation picks (Oscar Allen, Sam Draper and De Koning) and three matched academy bids in the top six picks in the draft (Zeke Uwland, Dylan Patterson and Daniel Annable).

The AFL Commission will rule on any potential changes at their September commission meeting but seem more likely to assess how changes to the draft value index flush through the system for the first time.

Dilena said the AFL should have genuine fears of a two-tier system where clubs who do not have the equivalent of old-fashioned “zones” are left behind.

“What makes sense is to help clubs down the bottom of the ladder come back up quicker than they are now,” he said.

The Saints are finishing strong in 2025. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I think there is a bit of a trend occurring and as part of our submission we went back through a lot of history. Pre national draft coming in, pre Commission days, when half the competition was going broke. You had the EPL system. Some dominant clubs and everyone else making up the numbers. To its credit the Commission brought in the salary cap and draft and moved away from the old zone system where it was pot luck who was growing up in your zones.

“There were weak zones and strong zones. So we looked at it and equity and win loss and who was making finals over a long time and how it improved when the draft came in and how potentially we are going back the wrong way now because in essence the academies see you going back to a zone system. If you grow up in NSW you are recruited to that club, if you grow up with NGAs you are committed to that club. The distortions in the draft are taking us back to a part of history we don’t want to repeat. We see it as the job of the AFL executive and commission to look at where the competition is heading and fix that. Get back to competitive balance.”

Hocking is aware Geelong had had many elite father-sons including Gary Ablett, Tom Hawkins and Matthew Scarlett but said the Cats had a welter of future prospects in coming years.

Despite that he agrees with coach Chris Scott’s advice to the AFL that it is time to scrap father-son picks.

“I think it’s a genuine consideration and it probably has to be. I sit here and say it genuinely.

“You have to think about what is good for the game. Things are compromised. It is a nice piece of the game. We have got a substantial amount of father sons and daughters. It is a sentimental thing but the game is becoming so professional, we do have to think about what compromise does that have about the draft? Those conversations are currently being undertaken.”

SAINTS, TIGERS PLAY OUT ‘MIND-NUMBING’ SLOG ON PRISTINE MCG

- Tyler Lewis

The tight and tense finish was not worth the tedious process.

St Kilda eventually edged out Richmond in a dour and often mind-numbing affair at the MCG.

The glorious, sun-soaked colosseum was staged for a clash of heavyweights but it hosted previously 14th and 16th which played just as such.

It took three quarters of football for the Saints and Tigers to release the handbrake but by then it was too late to entertain the 41, 395 supporters who turned out.

The Tigers had three perfect chances to snatch the lead back late but, symbolically of the match, lacked the composure and polish to finish their work.

The Saints, who played a blistering brand only a fortnight ago to mow down a 46-point three-quarter time deficit, offered little flare in a seemingly second-gear display.

The Tigers and Saints didn’t inspire many football fans on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Getty Images

They held most of the ascendancy in the third term but just continued to bomb it inside 50, allowing Richmond to take 37 marks in that quarter alone.

“Take the shackles off Ross – let them go, mate,” Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy said on SEN.

“Both clubs are doing the same, in trying not to make a mistake they’re making plenty.”

STRUGGLING SAINT

It was a forgettable afternoon for St Kilda’s Mattaes Phillipou.

Phillipou, in his return to senior football from injury, had just one handball to the main break and three to the final siren.

The left-footer didn’t have a single kick and had negative four metres gained.

In perhaps a sign of his fitness, he was far removed from St Kilda’s rotation of players at centre bounce.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said he expected a small return from his young gun after rushing him back from injury.

The season-ending injury to versatile forward Mitch Owens left the Saints smaller in their front half and prompted Lyon to prematurely call upon Phillipou.

Phillipou has had an injury-plagued season and had just one run in the VFL since his latest bout of plantar fasciitis.

The 20-year-old had minimal impact in the Saints’ four-point win over Richmond at the MCG on Saturday with just three handballs.

Lyon conceded Phillipou would “probably not” have played if it wasn’t for Owens’ injury but thought he “fought on” through a sluggish match.

“We knew what we’d get, it’s a very difficult role with that sort of ball movement, he doesn’t play there,” Lyon said.

“We just needed some height once Mitch Owens went out and he was the height to be honest, I thought he fought on (and) we got him through.

“It’s important his body gets through for us, he’s so important for us.”

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was one of St Kilda’s best again. Picture: Getty Images

SPIN KING

It was a leg-break the great Shane Warne would have been proud of.

St Kilda superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera can do no wrong at the present time and it was on show again through his miraculous second-quarter goal against Richmond.

The game needed a heavy dose of dexterity and Wanganeen-Milera obliged by shrugging off Tiger Nathan Broad and snapping towards goal.

Nas shakes off a Tiger and then gets a WILD bounce! ðŸ¤¯

ðŸ“º Watch #AFLTigersSaints on Ch.504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/kmJQkt81HJ
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/Etkrl2feSG
ðŸ”¢ MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/6HFzj8aesd pic.twitter.com/hh3Ip796Zw
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 9, 2025