Saints confirm interest in Andrew Gaff as pair re-signs, breaks put on Freeman debut
ST Kilda says it will be aggressive in the trade and free agency markets and that could start with West Coast restricted free agent Andrew Gaff.
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ST Kilda is set to pursue speedy West Coast Rolls Royce Andrew Gaff as it plans an aggressive assault on the AFL’s free agency and trade period.
Football manager Simon Lethlean has confirmed the club’s interest in the Eagles’ star restricted free agent.
“I think every Victorian club has enquired about Gaff. We’ve been on record saying we’re going to be as aggressive as we can in the trade and free agency markets,” Lethlean said on the Saints’ podcast.
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“We’re certainly interested in all good players that can come and add to the St Kilda on-field and off-field standards and Gaff’s certainly a great player.
“We’d be interested in talking to him.”
Gaff has reportedly attracted interest from a number of clubs, including North Melbourne, with a figure of $1.2 million per year bandied around for his services.
The Saints today locked away veteran defender Nathan Brown for a 13th AFL season and extended impressive youngster Ed Phillips for two more seasons.
Brown, 29, has been a key member of the Saints’ defence alongside Jake Carlisle since joining the club, with Lethlean saying his importance to the young group has been underrated since crossing from Collingwood.
The only AFL premiership player on St Kilda’s list, the former Magpie finished top 10 in the Saints’ Trevor Barker Medal last season — his first at the club — and was sorely missed when being out for five games this year with knee and hamstring issues.
Lethlean said yesterday Brown, who has been in the system since being drafted by Collingwood in 2006, continued to provide great leadership to the young Saints’ defence.
“You know what you are going to get with Nathan Brown every single week,” Lethlean said. “He regularly plays on the opposition’s best forward and has set a high standard of consistency since joining the Saints at the end of 2016.”
“While not in our leadership group, he is a highly respected member of the playing group and is performing a key role in helping develop our young defenders.”
Phillips, 20, has been rewarded for his good form this season, having averaged almost 20 disposals from seven games this year.
The brother of Magpie Tom Phillips, the Saints are confident Ed can take his game to a new level with his running capacity.
“I’m rapt to be signed on for a further two years,” Phillips said.
“We have a really strong bond with the young guys coming through together and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
In more tempered news for the Saints, the club has indicated Nathan Freeman is unlikely to debut on the same week as the AFL’s fairytale story Alex Johnson despite 37 possessions last week.
The uncontracted Freeman is desperate to make his AFL debut after nearly five seasons with recurring hamstring issues.
But there is a selection logjam at St Kilda created by the return of qualify defender Jimmy Webster and several players pushing hard after excellent VFL form.
Webster will return from a groin injury against the Western Bulldogs, top-10 pick Hunter Clark could return from a rest, and utility Ben Paton has been close to a debut for weeks.
Freeman didn’t lay a tackle among his 37 disposals and needs to improve that area of his game, with a VFL bye this weekend making it hard to push his claims.
The club hasn’t ruled out a surprise debut but Freeman might have to wait one more week for his elusive first game.
Meanwhile, the club’s forwards coach Rohan Welsh and midfield coach Simon McPhee will join assistant coach Lindsay Gilbee in leaving the club.
The Saints will not make any coaching moves public, but are expected to be one of many clubs in the race for Sam Mitchell, who yesterday confirmed he will return to Melbourne as an assistant coach next year.
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