St Kilda is facing a lean draft haul while the club’s foot skills stats make for troubling reading
ST KILDA is headed for its leanest draft haul in almost a decade with only one selection inside the first three rounds of this year’s “super draft”. Plus, the stats and should trouble Saints coaches.
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ST KILDA is headed for its leanest draft haul in almost a decade with only one selection inside the first three rounds of this year’s “super draft”.
The club has plummeted to its lowest point under coach Alan Richardson with only one win heading into Sunday’s Round 7 clash against Melbourne on Sunday.
AFL greats Garry Lyon and Wayne Carey both said Carlton, which fell to 0-6 for the first time in club history on Friday night, was closer to a premiership than St Kilda.
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But the Saints won’t be able to load up with a major dose of fresh talent at this year’s draft with only one pick (currently No.3) inside the top 56 selections based on current ladder positions.
It is the first time since 2009 St Kilda will have only one pick inside the first three rounds of the draft.
St Kilda has already parted with its second and third-round selections for this year’s draft in last year’s exchange period in separate deals with Port Adelaide.
They nabbed 22-year-old key defender Logan Austin (two games this year) and pick No.35 last year (key defender Oscar Clavirino).
But this year’s draft is widely considered one of the strongest talent pools since 2001 when Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd were taken top-three.
The Saints have been widely condemned for their foot skills this season and are expected to go all-out in the free agency and trade market.
Top-tier midfield targets include West Coast’s Andrew Gaff and Adelaide star Rory Sloane (free agents) and Greater Western Sydney jet Dylan Shiel (trade).
Some clubs are convinced Shiel will finish his career back home in Victoria with Carlton strongly linked to the dazzling midfielder.
But Shiel, who is contracted to GWS until the end of next year, said his focus was on winning an inaugural flag with the Giants.
“Coming from my side of things, I’ve still got a couple years left on the current contract, so I’m really enjoying my time up here,” Shiel said on SEN.
“I’m certainly focused on trying to achieve something up here in Sydney.”
The Saints haven’t played finals in six years and have the second-longest premiership drought in the game. They have also had some instability in the football department.
The club has cycled through three football managers - Chris Pelchen, Jamie Cox and Simon Lethlean - in the past four years.
Lyon said the Blues were better-placed and had more top-end young talent than St Kilda.
“I tried to identify who (St Kilda’s) best seven most influential players are,” Lyon said.
Kick rating takes into account how much pressure players are under and the intent of their kicks. The rating is how far above or below the AFL average players are for the kicks they have attempted. Source: Champion Data
“I keep getting back to Jack Steven, who’s probably their best player, Seb Ross, (Jake) Carlisle, (Blake) Acres, (Jack) Billings who’s hot and cold, (Dylan) Roberton, (Jarryn) Geary the captain.
“(But) the quality and the x-factor and the upside is with Carlton.”
Carey also said St Kilda lacks star power compared to Carlton.
“They (Blues) have got Patrick Cripps and they have got Charlie Curnow. They are two guys who you can build a club around. They are franchise players,” Carey said.
“Who is there at St Kilda, other than Jack Steven? I don’t know. They are in a worse position than the Blues.”
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