St Kilda have got a “real problem” when it comes to their talented young draftees as questions over what their next premiership side looks like arise.

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As speculation ramps up over dual premiership Lion and dual Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale’s future and his potential to land at the Saints, Roos great David King has questioned the club’s young talent.

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Of the 12 players still on their list from the combined 2022, 2024 and 2025 drafts, none of them played in the loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Mattaes Phillipou and Isaac Keeler (2022), Tobie Travaglia, Alix Tauru, Patrick Said and Hugh Boxshall (2024) and Charlie Banfield and Kye Fincher (2025) all played VFL instead on Sunday.

But King warned he needs more out of the top draftees in a premiership puzzle that remains unsolved.

Is this St Kilda’s next premiership team? (Yellow for future unclear, orange for potential recruit and red for young players with a question on quality)Source: FOX SPORTS

“The real problem, or the real discussion is the top three – picks 8, picks 10 and picks 10 in the draft (Travaglia, Tauru, Phillipou). They just could be (Essendon’s 2020 draft haul) Reid, Cox and Perkins. They really could be and this team can’t afford that,” he said on First Crack.

“I don’t know who’s their back pockets in a couple of years’ time.

“And if (Darcy) Wilson finishes at the Saints or if he leaves. I don’t know whether (Max) King comes back, (Liam) Ryan hangs on with his age.

“It’s not good enough to win a flag.

“You can’t make strawberry jam out of cow dung. If you want Ross (Lyon) to be successful, they’ve got to support him.

“They’ve got to get their picks right for starters. They are too high a pick grade to get wrong.

“They’ve got to make them (Travaglia, Tauru, Phillipou) players.

“In the 2022, 2024 and 2025 drafts, 12 players – none of them played today. That’s a problem.”

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Fellow First Crack panellist Leigh Montagna said “ideally” Travaglia and Tauru become St Kilda’s back pockets – but only “if they get to the level they drafted them at as top 10 draft picks”.

“That’s what they’d be hoping,” he said.

“And you’d be hoping Phillipou is that half forward that is becoming the player they are paying next year and onwards. But they are still the big question marks.

“I’m not completely confident yet, but some young players do take longer than others.

“For Tauru we’ve seen the athleticism and the raw talent – he’s still got to work out game sense. How to play a defensive system, when to roll off, the craft. Phillipou is still trying to work out what he is as a player – we know he’s got the talent and the size, but what is he?”

King said it was a “waste of time” having Phillipou play in the VFL, when he could be down back.

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And that’s not the only move King would make at the selection table, imploring the Saints the use $2 million star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera as a damaging centre forward player – in the Dustin Martin mould.

“I think it’s time for Ross Lyon to have the chat,” he said.

“Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to me is a Dustin Martin-level type player.

“In 2016 Dustin Martin was getting the same volume of ball as what Nas is getting now – but there was a lot of junk down back.

“Doesn’t really impact the scoreboard – it doesn’t really help anyone but the player feel good about their game.

“It helps you win Brownlows, it helps you win a Best and Fairest clearly.”

But King said the conversation to “cut down” Martin’s role in the back half helped him become the damaging player we saw forward of the ball from 2017 onwards.

“I think Nas is the same – you see him kicking out a lot and his ball use out of the back half, and it’s terrific. I’m not denigrating what he’s doing,” he said.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera racked up more than 40 disposals on Sunday.Source: Getty Images

“He’s doing right now what he’s asked from the coach to do. I think they need to make him a centre forward player because I don’t think they’ve got the talent getting junk down back.

“Can they find someone else to be that guy at half back? Can it be Wilson?

“Once they go centre forward, they couldn’t score (in the loss to the Dogs).

“They had 61 inside 50s. A ridiculous number, but for no real productivity, for no real damage.

“I just think they are a different commodity when he’s in the forward line. And (Nasiah) wants to be that guy.

“This is a positive discussion, but I think Ross has to have the chat.

“He kicked the ball inside 50 five times – and he’s had 44 touches. You’ve got to get the balance right.

“They are not good enough down there without him.”