Sam Mitchell, Lenny Hayes could join revamped St Kilda coaching panel
ST KILDA will overhaul its coaching structure and take an aggressive approach to its trade and draft strategies to help jump back into the finals mix next year.
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ST KILDA will overhaul its coaching structure and take an aggressive approach to its trade and draft strategies to help jump back into the finals mix next year.
And new football boss Simon Lethlean indicated the club would target some ready-made players with senior experience who could impact the team’s leadership and training standards in the pre-season.
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The Saints currently have pick 4 in this year’s draft period but Lethlean said the club could swap it for multiple picks in the likely event the AFL will allow clubs to trade draft picks right up until the night of the national draft.
Lethlean confirmed there would be change in the coaching ranks following a report former Hawthorn champion and West Coast assistant coach Sam Mitchell would return to Melbourne to further his coaching career next season.
GWS assistant Lenny Hayes, who played 297 games for the Saints, will also be target for Alan Richardson’s men.
Lethlean said the Saints would adopt a different coaching model next year, admitting Richmond “gave us a bit of a lesson about what a team really looks like” last weekend.
“There will be some changes in our coaching side of the program as well,” Lethlean said.
“How many and who any of the appointees may be is unknown at the moment. It’s July so we have to test the market and see who is available and see who is interested and also understand what structure is best for us.
“I have a view on how our coaching structure should be and it’s a bit different to now, so that will mean change.”
The new footy boss said the Saints could have tried some different tactics against Richmond last weekend to limit the damage in the 54-point loss.
“We actually couldn’t necessary handle that level of intensity and teamwork and impact, and it shows you where you are at,” Lethlean said on a club podcast.
“So it was interesting to find out where we are at against the best club.
“I reckon there was stuff we could have done to have stemmed where the result ended up a bit quicker and better and we let ourselves down a bit there.
“We know we have got some work to do, and we know there is a club which does things pretty well and that gave us a bit of a lesson about what a team really looks like.”
St Kilda wants to appoint a new list manager next week.
Lethlean said the club had already held talks with potential recruits.
“We’ll target players to make our list better right form the word go in preseason by way of training standards, impact and leadership,” he said.
“So we are certainly very active in the free agency, out of contract and trade market as would 17 other good clubs.
“And we have had a number of encouraging conversations with players and player managers and lots of those don’t bear fruit for little while.
“But we are active and hopefully it bears some fruit.”
Lethlean said the team’s performance would likely mean the Saints would receive a reduced number of Friday night games next season after four this year.
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