St Kilda shopping list: Who Saints are pursuing in trade period after Tom De Koning commitment

Jake Beddard

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St Kilda shopping list: Who Saints are pursuing in trade period after Tom De Koning commitment image

We still have all of September to wait to see who will become the premiers of the AFL, but it appears we may already know which club will be the biggest winner of the ensuing trade period.

St Kilda haven't won a flag since 1966, but their aggressive pursuit to bring in talent in this upcoming off-season makes their intentions clear that they're ready to put an end to that drought.

They've already convinced superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to re-sign for at least two more seasons, while Tom De Koning has committed to the club as his contract comes to an end at Carlton.

Rumours have reared their head about whether their list strategy may push players such as Jack Steele, Callum Wilkie and Rowan Marshall out the door, but as those concerns begin to die down, the Saints continue to look to refine their list as they hunt for a return to the finals.

MORE: St Kilda will struggle to win premierships with $2 million-dollar player, says Toby Greene

The Sporting News looks at which players the Saints are still looking to lure to Moorabbin alongside Tom De Koning. 

Sam Flanders

Following the Gold Coast's 95-point drubbing of Essendon on Wednesday night, the Suns can dare to dream about a potential premiership in their inaugural finals campaign.

Should the Suns become the second Queensland-based team in a row to win the flag, midfielder Sam Flanders would likely have to be an important part in their charge, as he averaged 18.9 disposals in 21 games this season.

But it's very possible that a premiership may be the last thing Flanders experiences during his time on Surfers Paradise, with St Kilda reportedly confident in their ability to negotiate a trade for the 24-year-old.

The match could be a perfect fit, with the Saints in need of some extra talent in their engine room, while Flanders has attended less than 10 per cent of centre bounces this season, with coach Damien Hardwick favouring other midfielders such as Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller and Bailey Humphrey in the guts. 

Flanders is contracted until the end of 2027, meaning if the Saints are desperate to land him in time for the 2026 season, they'll need to impress the Suns at the trade table.

Leek Aleer

If the final few weeks of the GWS Giants' season had fared just a little differently, then Leek Aleer may have already made the same commitment to the Saints Tom De Koning did on Tuesday.

The Saints have reportedly had lucrative deals tabled to both players for a similar amount of time, with it believed Aleer has been offered a deal worth $750,000 a season over four years to head to Moorabbin.

The Giants haven't been as keen in coming to the table, with the club last reported to have offered the 23-year-old a deal worth just $400,000 a season over two years.

But unlike Carlton, the Giants are still very much alive for the 2025 premiership, and thus Aleer will have to wait a bit longer to confirm his intention to sign with the Saints in the off-season, assuming that's the decision he indeed settles on.

Having played just 24 games during his four years at the Giants, Aleer is relatively unproven at AFL level, although the potential is clearly there. 

Ross Lyon's teams have traditionally been defence-first, and there is reason to think an athletic key defender like Aleer would fit in seamlessly under the Saints' coach.

Liam Ryan

Unlike the Giants and the Suns, the West Coast Eagles have probably been looking towards the off-season for some time now. 

Already the Eagles have had two players request out of the club, with co-captain Oscar Allen eyeing a move to Brisbane, and small forward Liam Ryan expected to get to St Kilda, with the Saints tabling him a four-year deal.

The Eagles have stuck firm though, telling Ryan he is a required player and that they see him in their future plans.

It means the Saints will have to cough up something of value for the 28-year-old, who is still under contract at the Eagles for next season.

Since helping West Coast win a premiership at his first year in the club in 2018, Ryan has gone onto kick 158 goals in 125 games, including 22 goals from 20 appearances in 2025.

Cam Mackenzie 

It was only last year Hawthorn were able to lure key defender Josh Battle out of St Kilda, with the 26-year-old impressing in his first year at Waverley Park by being named in the All-Australian team of the year. 

The Saints were compensated with a first-round pick for Battle's departure, which they used on Alix Tauru.

But the club is looking to steal someone back from the Hawks now, with midfielder Cam Mackenzie catching their eye. 

Mackenzie was a part of the Saints' Next Generation Academy before he was scooped up by the Hawks in the 2022 draft. 

The 21-year-old has played in 46 games during his time at Hawthorn, but isn't currently poised to be part of the Hawks' finals campaign, having been listed as an emergency for their previous three games.

Mackenzie is under contract until the end of the 2026, with the Hawks adamant he won't be traded, according to a report from SEN's Sam Edmund. 

Jack Silvagni 

The Silvagnis have cut ties with Carlton, but could there be a reunion at RSEA Park?

Jack Silvagni told the Blues on Tuesday he will be departing as a free agent, with the hot tip being that he's likely headed for either Collingwood or the Western Bulldogs.

But the Saints may just come from the clouds to win over the key defender, who is set to meet with the club this week, according to a report from the Herald Sun's Jay Clark. 

Tom Morris first highlighted the Saints as a possiblity earlier in the week, citing Silvagni's close relationship with coach Ross Lyon.

The other obvious link, of course, is that Jack's dad Stephen is the current list manager at Moorabbin. 

However, whether or not there would be room for both Silvagni and the aforementioned Aleer remains to be seen.

Silvagni has proven more as a key back, impressing for the Blues this year full-time in the role, finishing with one of the lowest defensive one-on-one contest loss percentages of any key defender in the league.

SEN's Sam Edmund has since reported speculation that the Saints could come with an offer for Silvagni worth as much as $4 million over five years.

Charlie Curnow

Curnow has reportedly had his eyes set on the stunning beaches of Surfers Paradise and Bondi, but could St Kilda beach fancy him just the same?

There has been little buzz about Curnow to St Kilda besides a text message sent to former professional golfer Mark Allen, but every rumour starts somewhere, right?

Curnow has reportedly wanted out of Ikon Park for some time now, initially hoping to leave the Victorian football bubble for somewhere like Gold Coast or Sydney.

Admittedly, St Kilda would not provide him the escape he is chasing, but the Saints have made a play for just about everyone else, so who's to say they won't entertain going after a two-time Coleman medallist?

Curnow is under contract until the end of 2029, and therefore it would take a monster package to convince Carlton to part ways with the 28-year-old. A-grade level talent combined with draft capital would have to be part of the deal.

Would St Kilda's 2025 first-round pick (currently pick seven) along with an injury-prone Max King, or a disgruntled Callum Wilkie, or Rowan Marshall to replace TDK in the ruck, be enough to tempt the Blues? Unlikely. And that's before Curnow even gives his blessing to be moved to the Saints.

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Jake Beddard

Jake Beddard is a contributing Wires Writer at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia.