St Kilda president Andrew Bassat says it’s time the Saints made a surge up the ladder

St Kilda president Andrew Bassat is seen during St Kilda’s clash against Fremantle in round one, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

DECLARING “we’re not here to make friends”, St Kilda president Andrew Bassat has lauded the club’s aggressive recruiting and says they are again a relevant outfit.

Bassat also again took aim at the draft system, in his speech at the club’s best-and-fairest night on Monday.

But he did not repeat his self-confessed “rant” at last year’s function, when he called the father-son and academy rules “rubbish”.

Bassat said after four years of concentrating on the draft, now was the right time to recruit aggressively as the Saints try to return to the finals for the first time since 2020.

Free agents Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni are set to join St Kilda from Carlton, while Leek Aleer (Greater Western Sydney) and Liam Ryan (West Coast) have requested trades to Moorabbin.

“Recruiting aggressively as we have, no doubt involves a degree of risk … (but) there is no risk-free way to a flag and indeed, doing nothing is the greatest risk of all,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that our being more vocal and also being more aggressive in trade, has put a target on our backs.

“There’s a big queue of people lining up to take cracks if we fail. That’s fine, because we’re not here to make friends.

“We must welcome the pressure and expectation that comes with once again being a relevant club.”

Bassat said it was “exciting and validating” that players from other clubs wanted to join the Saints.

“The competition we’re in, the strong get stronger. You can’t retain existing talent, let alone attract new, if people don’t believe you’re heading towards contention,” he added.

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“Our club will not go down without having fired a shot.”

Bassat also praised his club for its united voice on draft rules and said the Saints’ lobbying had “genuinely” made a difference.

“Unfortunately the (AFL) changes do not go far enough, given the lopsided nature of the competition we saw this year, and the fact that a handful of clubs – the same clubs – keep getting largesse from the draft,” he said.

“So we will fight on, but we need to find a way to win regardless.”

Ross Lyon during St Kilda’s loss to Brisbane in R7, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s $2 million per season contract headlined a number of re-signings of St Kilda’s young talent, which Bassat said had been “absolutely critical”.

Bassat drew plenty of laughs when he referenced the controversial Brownlow Medal voting, when Wanganeen-Milera received two votes behind Melbourne’s Jack Viney despite his match-winning heroics in the Saint’s stunning comeback in round 21.

“No season that finishes without September action is a great season, but there’s been plenty of progress … and lots of highlights, none more so of course than the remarkable record-breaking comeback against Melbourne,” Bassat said.

“(It) involved one of the most remarkable, memorable individual performances of all time – of course, from Jack Viney.

“Nasiah played a decent game that day as well.”