AFL 2022: Liam Stocker to train with St Kilda for chance at AFL lifeline

Former Carlton player Liam Stocker will start his fight for a second AFL chance under St Kilda coach Ross Lyon.

Former Carlton defender Liam Stocker is set to train with St Kilda in a bid to resurrect his AFL career.

The former Blue, who was cut from Carlton after 28 games in four years, is keen to trial with the club from Monday week after the AFL’s national draft.

St Kilda is seriously considering handing the former top-20 draft pick a chance to prove the Blues wrong.

Stocker, 22, wants to show he is worth a second chance at the top level after struggling to cement a regular position in navy blue last year.

Delisted Essendon key position player Josh Eyre is also considering a potential opportunity to train at a new club after he was dumped by the Bombers.

Stocker (R), struggled to break into the Carlton side after being drafted as a potential midfielder. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Stocker, from Sandringham, could add to the Saints’ defensive stocks with best and fairest Jack Sinclair expected to push for more time in the midfield in 2023 after an excellent season.

Stocker showed considerable promise as a tough ballwinner in his draft year, but there were concerns over his fitness and ability to break into the midfield at Carlton.

Stocker has recently questioned those doubts about his fitness base and said he was eager to maximise his potential after battling with life in the hubs throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stocker also had to deal with the spotlight which followed him after Carlton traded its future first-round draft pick with Adelaide to snare him at pick 19 in the 2018 draft.

If he impresses, Stocker could be taken by the Saints in the supplemental selection period which allows clubs to select players without using a draft pick.

Stocker could add to the Saints defensive stocks after finishing at Carlton as primarily a small defender. Pic: Michael Klein

It will be a new chapter for St Kilda under second-time coach Ross Lyon who was headhunted by the club to take over from Brett Ratten.

It will be a homecoming for Lyon after coaching the club to three grand finals and four finals campaigns from his five seasons in charge between 2007-11.

St Kilda greats Robert Harvey and Lenny Hayes have also returned to the club along with respected football boss Geoff Walsh in a bid to help lift the Saints under Lyon in their 150th year.

But the list lacks top-end talent after loading up on mature-age and role players in recent years.

The Saints have pick nine in this year’s draft after deciding to keep hard nut Hunter Clark.

Third time lucky: Anderson eyes AFL lifeline

– Glenn McFarlane

Delisted North Melbourne midfielder Jed Anderson is edging closer to an AFL lifeline with ongoing discussions with Gold Coast likely to see him find a new home.

Anderson, 28, was delisted by the Kangaroos last month but remains keen to resurrect his league career.

He is stranded on 99 games after 10 seasons with Hawthorn and North Melbourne, but he has attracted interest from the Suns who are looking to add to a few mature-aged additions in an attempt to push for its first AFL finals berth next season.

While it is understood there are still some things to work through before Anderson is guaranteed to join the Suns, it remains a likely option at this stage.

Jed Anderson has stalled on 99 games but is likely to get a lifeline and continue his career at the Gold Coast. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Anderson has returned to the Northern Territory where he has been training with his former club Darwin Buffaloes since being delisted by the Kangaroos.

It is the second successive season of uncertainty for the tough inside mid.

This time last year he was still wrestling with the decision of whether to have the Covid-19 vaccine in order to allow him to keep playing AFL football under league mandates.

He had the first jab in December but an adverse reaction meant he didn’t have the required second injection until just before the start of the 2022 season.

That delayed the start of his campaign and he didn’t play a senior game until Round 8, but did not miss another game for the rest of the season.

He ended up playing 14 games this year for the Kangaroos, averaging 22 disposals per game with a career-high 33 disposals coming against Collingwood in Round 17, providing a hard edge to a young, inexperienced side.

The second delisted free agency period started last Friday and will run through until Tuesday, with those missing out still eligible to nominate for the national or pre-season/rookie drafts.

The final list lodgement for clubs is on December 1.

DONS DECLARE RE-SIGNED RUCK SET TO DOMINATE AFL

-Jon Ralph

Essendon’s cult figure ruckman Sam Draper has signed a new two-year contract extension in a strong show of faith in the club’s direction.

The Herald Sun can reveal Draper had added two extra years to his current deal with the Dons locking him away until 2025.

Amid uncertainty about the club as coach Ben Rutten was moved on there were fears senior players might be considering their futures.

But with new coach Brad Scott signed in a coup for the club multiple players including 2022 captain Dyson Heppell have again committed their futures to the Dons.

Draper was famously the subject of a huge offer from St Kilda before he had even established himself at Essendon but instead re-signed with the Bombers.

He played every game this season for 43 in total as a 2017 rookie draft signing and was awarded the goal of the year for a rollicking surge out of the centre bounce in round 18.

The Dons will hope to turn their ruck battery into an area of strength with Nick Bryan an encouraging young prospect and ex-Melbourne key forward Sam Weideman showing strong signs in the ruck in the last weeks of the VFL season.

Sam Draper celebrates a goal this year.

Essendon has bolstered its midfield with ex-Carlton onballer Will Setterfield, re-signed Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and is expected to take an elite midfielder at pick 4 after a strong showing from No. 13 draft pick Ben Hobbs in his debut season.

The Dons will hope to make progress on contracts for Darcy Parish and Peter Wright over the summer with their deals expiring at the end of 2023.

Draper said he couldn’t wait to help the playing group drag the club back into finals contention.

“I absolutely love this footy club and I’m really excited for this next chapter at the Bombers under Brad (Scott),” Draper said.

“I’m committed and willing to do everything I can to take this great club back to where it needs to be. My heart is with Essendon and I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.

“We have a strong pre-season ahead and I look forward to working hard alongside my teammates to be the best we can be.”

Essendon is determined to build methodically under Scott and assemble an elite core of players who might ultimately win a premiership together rather than seek quick list management fixes.

Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro said Draper had the capacity to be a “dominant force” in the AFL.

“Sam has developed enormously since arriving at the club in 2017 and has become a crucial player for the future of our club,” Dodoro said.

“He is a popular member of our playing group with his infectious energy being very influential throughout the club.

“We look forward to seeing Sam continue to refine his craft and become a dominant force throughout the competition.”

ROBBO REVEALS WHERE DOGS, BEVERIDGE TALKS SIT

Mark Robinson

Luke Beveridge and the Western Bulldogs will resume talks on a contract extension when the coach returns from leave next week.

Beveridge, 52, will be in charge in 2023 – his ninth season at the helm at the Bulldogs – but both Beveridge and the club are keen to extend the partnership beyond that.

Club insiders say talks before Beveridge went on leave were positive.

The Bulldogs believe Beveridge is a strong leader and is highly respected, and they also believe Beveridge is committed to continuing at the Dogs.

Football boss Chris Grant and chief executive Ameet Bains will make the recommendation to the board to extend the premiership coach.

A timeline is not in place, but it’s possible, because of the strong interest from both sides, that a deal could be announced over the summer break.

It’s not known if a one-year or two-year offer is in the pipeline.

What is known is the Bulldogs are finalising a three-year strategic plan, which will be announced next year, which will detail everything the club is trying to achieve, which includes both the men’s and women’s football programs.

The Bulldogs are in talks to extend Luke Beveridge’s contract. Picture: Michael Klein

The Whitten Oval precinct is being rebuilt and is expected to be completed in early 2025.

The Beveridge signature would be a significant addition to the strategic plan.

The football program has already changed with the signing of senior assistant coach Brendon Lade, who had previously worked at Richmond, Port Adelaide and St Kilda.

The Bulldogs believe his experience will be highly valuable in the coaching program.

The Lade appointment in late September came when the club had a three-week post-season review of all football matters.

Although the Dogs made the finals, it was a disappointing season for them, and their inconsistency was on show in the elimination final when Fremantle obliterated them in the second half.

If Beveridge is not re-signed before the season starts in March, he will join Port Adelaide’s Ken Hinkley and Brisbane’s Chris Fagan as the coaches not contracted beyond the 2023 season.

However, the Lions have begun talks on a new deal with Fagan.

Originally published as AFL 2022: Liam Stocker to train with St Kilda for chance at AFL lifeline