Jake Carlisle and St Kilda have not ruled out the star defender playing in a preliminary final

Jake Carlisle and St Kilda have not ruled out the star defender playing in a preliminary final. But it won’t be an easy process. This is what would need to happen, starting with a win over Richmond.

Jason Akermanis says then-Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews was, in 2000, fuming when gun forward Daniel Bradshaw chose family over footy.

Jake Carlisle and St Kilda have not ruled out a shock preliminary final appearance for the key defender, despite his flight to border town Moama for the birth of his baby.

The St Kilda defender said he was “devastated” to leave the club’s finals campaign as they take on Richmond on Friday night.

The Herald Sun understands Carlisle, 29 last week, does not have a contract offer in front of him at the club.

He is keen to stay with the Saints next year but is in contract limbo on weeks ahead of the trade period.

But he made the commitment to be at the birth of his third child, due on Friday or Saturday this week.

Jake Carlisle was part of the Saints’ rousing Elimination Final win over Western Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Images

He flew from Queensland to Canberra on Monday, then drove six hours to Moama in NSW, where his wife Mel has been staying with her extended family.

A return to the field would require St Kilda to beat Richmond and the baby arriving over the weekend, but NSW residents can now fly into South Australia, where the preliminary final against Port Adelaide will be held on Friday week.

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Carlisle would have to pass several COVID tests to re-enter the St Kilda bubble, but there is nothing stopping him from playing again if those factors fell his way.

Despite his club’s rousing win over West Coast, Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom has no plans to rejoin the Pies’ hub, content to remain with his family, given the difficulties of quarantining from Melbourne.

Carlisle’s wife visited the club’s Noosa hub earlier in the season but the plan was always to have the baby in the southern states, with the AFL’s decision to install a pre-finals bye then pushing back finals by a week.

Carlisle said he was shattered to leave the club but confident he had made the right decision.

“I’m devastated to leave the guys, but it’s going to be a great opportunity for other guys to step up,” Carlisle said.

“To be successful you need more than 22 players.

“It doesn’t matter if you have your best 22 or your best 30 out there, as long as you’re representing the club.

“I’m confident they can go and win, but I’ve got to go home and make the tough decisions.”

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Brisbane star forward Daniel Bradshaw missed the Lions’ 2000 semi-final loss against Carlton for the birth of his child, prompting then-coach Leigh Matthews to warn his players not to have unprotected sex in January so they were free to play in September.

Former Lions star Jason Akermanis told the Herald Sun Bradshaw’s decision hadn’t been fully supported by all teammates but, in hindsight, he was ahead of his time.

“With Daniel we were at the hotel and it was right before the game and Leigh is this amazingly competitive man,” Akermanis said.

“We lost that game and Braddy did leave for the birth.

“To be fair, at the time, Leigh was not happy, he was pissed.

“He had lost one of his best forwards but I have no doubt, upon reflection, he doesn’t feel like that now.

“He (Bradshaw) made the right decision back then and you could feel that seething toxicity of displeasure and it wasn’t just Leigh.

“There were teammates at the time, selfishly they wanted him to play.

“So there was some anger but all of us now would say it was a wonderful decision.”