Could Saints be “open to a conversation” on captain Steele in the trade period?

Tom Morris joined SEN Breakfast to provide a trade update, including an intriguing note on St Kilda captain Jack Steele.

The Saints reportedly quietly shopped Steele in last year’s trade period, with Morris wondering whether a team will ask the question again at the end of the season.

The 2024 AFL Draft meanwhile is being touted as one of the strongest and deepest in recent years and the Saints are hoping to get as much talent through the door as possible.

Read his trade update below:

St Kilda’s draft plan

“They’ve currently got pick five. They’ll get pick six if Josh Battle leaves given the size of the deal he’s being offered at the Hawks,” Morris told SEN Breakfast.

“They want to go into the first round of the draft with at least two picks. If they can go in with picks five and six, they will. If they don’t get six, they could split five, but they want as much first-round talent as they can get.”

Jack Steele

“Last year there was more than whispers, a number of clubs and players managers told me that the Saints were open to a conversation around Steele.”

“’If you want Jack Steele, give us your best deal’, that sort of stuff. It never happened. I just think it would be a massive call to trade their captain.

“I wonder whether a club will try to pry him out this year. There’s no indication that the Saints want to trade him or that he wants to go, but that doesn’t mean clubs won’t have a crack.”

Tom Barrass

“The other one is Tom Barrass, who I find really interesting.”

“He has three years remaining on a deal, the Dogs have offered four, they’re willing to offer five, Hawthorn assistant coach Adrian Hickmott met with Tom Barrass last weekend in Perth.

“He was in Perth for a funeral and caught up with Barrass. They’re old friends.

“The links from Barrass to the Bulldogs are Daniel Pratt and if West Coast don’t restructure this deal significantly, as they said they would via a handshake a couple of years ago, I think he will look to go.

“He’s very close to his sister and she’s moving to Melbourne. That’s why the Dogs and the Hawks are on high alert.”