St Kilda may apply for priority pick in 2019 national draft

St Kilda is weighing up applying for a priority draft pick from the AFL based on ‘unusual circumstaces’ that have sidelined a series of stars.

An extraordinary run of bad luck could be the basis of a request from St Kilda for a priority pick in this year’s draft.

The Saints have lost a number of key players indefinitely to injuries or issues outside their control.

Four-time best-and-fairest winner Jack Steven has played just four games this year due to mental health issues, while Dylan Roberton (heart condition) and Paddy McCartin (concussion) haven’t played at all.

Of the 14 players on St Kilda’s injury list, five are listed as “indefinite” including two more concussion victims, ruckmen Billy Longer and Lewis Pierce.

“We’ve certainly got some unusual circumstances that don’t relate to soft-tissue and other injuries that could have a significant effect on our TPP and ability to manage our list as well as you could for reasons that are out of our control,” St Kilda football manager Simon Lethlean said on SEN.

“We’ll certainly have conversations with the AFL about how that looks going forward. That’s a fair question to ask.”

Former No.1 draft pick Paddy McCartin.

Key defender Dylan Roberton. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

The AFL changed the rules surrounding priority picks in 2012, leaving them entirely up to the discretion of the AFL Commission. Since then only one club has been awarded a priority pick — Brisbane in 2016 after winning just seven games in the previous two seasons.

After a series of pick swaps over two seasons the pick ended up delivering Charlie Cameron in a trade with Adelaide at the end of 2017.

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While a priority pick for the Saints — who won four matches last year and six so far this season — is considered unlikely, AFL football operations manager Steve Hocking didn’t rule it out.

“First and foremost St Kilda would need to approach the AFL on that, and then it would be a commission decision,” he said.

Lethlean said this year’s injury crisis did have a silver lining in giving opportunities to other players, but the Saints’ list was still very much a work in progress.

“We absolutely need to improve our list. I think we’ve made some advancements this year with that,” Lethlean said.

“We’ve also had, give the adversity we’ve face through injury, we’ve been fortunate to get a look at some players probably ahead of time, like (Callum) Wilkie, (Josh) Battle, (Matt) Parker and some others who have that have got more games than maybe they were going to at the start of the year. It’s positive to know they can play.

“We’re active in the market, we’ll draft well and we’re looking to draft well to make us better.”

The Gold Coast Suns are also expected to apply for a priority pick this year.

Jack Steven jokes with Jade Gresham at training this week.