There\u2019s palpable frustration among senior players at St Kilda amid \u201coutrageous\u201d contract offers for prospective recruits \u2014 and there are fears the captain could be \u201ccollateral damage\u201d. <\/p>\n
Plus, a contracted West Coast forward is attracting interest from as many as four rival clubs. <\/p>\n
Stay up to date with the latest player movement developments with AFL Trade Whispers!<\/p>\n
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Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n SAINTS PLAYER ANGER EXPLAINED<\/p>\n There are fresh concerns Saints skipper Jack Steele could be \u201ccollateral damage\u201d as the club aims to create cap space for big-money deals. <\/p>\n It was revealed on Monday that All-Australian St Kilda defender Cal Wilkie would assess his options elsewhere<\/a> at the end of the season amid growing unrest from a group of senior Saints as prospective recruits prepare for massive paydays. <\/p>\n Carlton\u2019s Tom De Koning \u2014 set for $1.7 million per season \u2014 and GWS 22-gamer Leek Aleer \u2014 thought to be approximately $750,000 per year \u2014 are the two big names set to cash in this year as they\u2019re expected to cement Moorabbin moves, while Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera will get a massive salary increase if he ultimately elects to re-sign with St Kilda. <\/p>\n Further, it was rumoured on Tuesday that the Saints are fielding a 12-year, $25 million offer to Eagles prodigy Harley Reid<\/a>. <\/p>\n As a result, there are worries over the Saints futures of Steele, Wilkie \u2014 both contracted \u2014 and potentially Marcus Windhager, who foxfooty.com.au\u2019s Will Faulkner reports is now attracting interest from the Giants<\/a>. <\/p>\n Herald Sun and Fox Footy journalist Jon Ralph explained the trade state of play at the Saints<\/a> on Fox Footy\u2019s Midweek Tackle. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a player exodus just yet, but it\u2019s a state of affairs that certainly impacts the club\u2019s captain in Jack Steele, and it\u2019s vice-captain Cal Wilkie,\u201d he began on Tuesday night. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s multiple players on the brink of considering leaving a club that needs to bring in talent, not lose it. <\/p>\n \u201cSenior players are worried that Jack Steele will be part of the collateral damage. This is a club that is making massive offers to the likes of Tom De Koning, Leek Aleer and Harley Reid. They just need to clear cap space. <\/p>\n \u201cHe wants to stay, he believes in the future, but he signed a deal at the very top of the market as a dual All-Australian, and right now, he\u2019s probably not worth that in terms of output. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd so what concerns his teammates is whether the club desperately needs him. Are they prepared to just lure him out there in the trade period? Yes, with some deniability, but look for offers for him. <\/p>\n \u201cSt Kilda needs more talent, everyone understands that. They need to keep their culture as well, and that\u2019s a really important driver. This bloke is their captain.\u201d<\/p>\n Ralph, who called it \u201ca worrying situation all round\u201d, said Wilkie wouldn\u2019t exit at year\u2019s end but confirmed some bewilderment from his camp at the lucrative sums being lobbed at rival players. <\/p>\n He explained the domino effect that extended to the prospective recruits De Koning and Aleer themselves, with Rowan Marshall\u2019s Moorabbin future also clouded. <\/p>\n \u201cWilkie won\u2019t leave the club, and he will say so at the next opportunity … but he was certainly bemused at the fact that these outrageous deals were rolling around,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s the issue. The players that are potentially and almost certainly coming in, they\u2019re getting worried as well. <\/p>\n \u201cTDK is desperate to play alongside Rowan Marshall, he wants him to stay. I think we all expect he\u2019s going down the highway to Geelong. So, one of the reasons is, yes, he wants to play ruck with him, but he doesn\u2019t want to be public enemy number one. <\/p>\n \u201cRowan Marshall is such a popular figure, he\u2019s been at the club through thick and thin, and all of a sudden, TDK comes in and he leaves. <\/p>\n \u201cAleer is similarly worried. He\u2019ll come to the St Kilda Football Club, but he wants to play with Cal Wilkie, he wants to be the third banana, not the number-one banana on big dollars and massive expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n The Herald Sun\u2019s Scott Gullan said: \u201cThe issue is, they should have been ahead of this … getting players in, players understand that \u2014 you need more talent to improve, of course we get that \u2014 but they haven\u2019t sold this vision early enough. Rowan Marshall only found out last month that TDK was a lock.\u201d<\/p>\n Shiel handed one-match push ban! | 02:29<\/p>\n FOUR CLUBS CONSIDERING FLAG EAGLE<\/p>\n Veteran West Coast forward Liam Ryan is attracting interest from rival clubs, notably from Victoria. <\/p>\n Ryan has played 18 games this year \u2014 his most in a season since 2019 \u2014 and kicked 22 goals amid occasional midfield stints in addition to his attacking exploits. <\/p>\n The 128-game premiership livewire is contracted through next season but continues to receive interest from rivals, with Ralph reporting<\/a> St Kilda, Essendon, Carlton and Port Adelaide are considering pursuing Ryan. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a couple of factors there,\u201d Ralph began on Midweek Tackle on Tuesday. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s turning 29 at the end of the year, he\u2019s got one year on his contract, he was involved in a bit of a scuffle at the start of the year, which he was exonerated for. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a couple of cultural factors there where it might be time for a fresh start for him. And so, West Coast is open to that, they\u2019re not doing a lot of contract extensions right now. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, if you\u2019re St Kilda, they\u2019re really keen to build their Indigenous representation. If you\u2019re Carlton, you\u2019re thinking …\u201d<\/p>\n Ralph called Ryan \u201can immediate game-changer\u201d, while Gullan told Fox Footy: \u201cHe has got upside for two or three years with a new fresh start … we mentioned Carlton, Graham Wright loves small forwards, he hasn\u2019t really got any of great value there.\u201d<\/p>\n