Max King has finished his rehab block and is conditioning. Lenny Hayes said "fingers crossed" but "I'm sure that we're going to see him out there next year." St Kilda skipped an established senior player to keep its first-round picks: "our growth is going to come internally."
Alex Dodson will be "looking to take a step up" with Rowan Marshall gone to Geelong. Lenny Hayes said Marshall was "keen to hold down that number 1 ruck mantle" at St Kilda rather than share with Tom De Koning. Geelong "didn't want to part with" Sam De Koning, Hayes said.
Lachie Whitfield, Jayden Short and Dan Houston came up, but St Kilda didn't pivot after missing halfback Nick Blakey, Lenny Hayes said. He rates Jack Sinclair, out for the back half of the year with a serious calf injury, "the second greatest small defender in the competition".
No talks with Jesse Hogan: "we weren't in discussions with Jesse," St Kilda's Lenny Hayes said. The club hasn't discussed Bobby Hill either. But the Saints may still add a couple of delisted or off-list players in the coming months, Hayes said.
Jack Sinclair is St Kilda's answer to the halfback links. "Jack Sinclair comes back into the team. He's one of the best halfbacks in the comp," Lenny Hayes said. With picks 10, 16 and 41, the Saints will mix "taking best available" with addressing list needs.
Max King returns to St Kilda's forward line alongside Mitch Owens and Cooper Sharman, and Lenny Hayes said "they'll complement each other." Down back, Hayes named Jack Silvagni and Callum Wilkie as key defenders and said "Alix Tauru can complement those 2 key position guys."
St Kilda were "really hell-bent" on a first-round pick for Rowan Marshall, Lenny Hayes said. Paying a future first for Brisbane's Sam Marshall was partly about Tasmania's entry compromising next year's draft: "that first-round draft pick will get pushed out."
St Kilda have completed the Rowan Marshall trade with Geelong, done early to give him comfort. "We spoke to him about dealing in good faith, but we wanted something fair in return. We feel like we got that," Lenny Hayes said. With Sam Marshall in, "that's us done."
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Max Hall "are obviously priorities for us," St Kilda's Lenny Hayes said of re-signing the pair. He's happy with initial discussions, but asked whether Wanganeen-Milera could commit before round 1, Hayes gave no timeframe.
Nick Blakey met St Kilda as a possible running defender alongside Jack Sinclair and Brad Hill, but Lenny Hayes said the Saints moved on: "he's a fair way down the track with North Melbourne." Asked about moving up or splitting picks 10 and 16, Hayes didn't commit.
Rowan Marshall is "contracted for next year," Lenny Hayes said, and nothing Geelong has offered "has probably really satisfied us", though he thinks a deal can get done. If he goes, St Kilda may need another backup ruck to Tom De Koning despite "high hopes" for Alex Dodson.