Kane Cornes and Matthew Lloyd both don’t believe St Kilda will achieve much this trade period despite entering the off-season with big plans.
Having already missed out on free agent Jordan De Goey and falling out of the race for Gold Coast’s Jack Bowes (plus pick seven) deal, the Saints have only signed Zaine Cordy while going quiet on the trade front.
Considering the Saints were hoping to add A-grade talent this off-season, Cornes is “worried” that they won’t be able to do so.
“They would be a club I’d be worried about throughout this trade period,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio.
“They were speaking a reasonable game prior to the situation unfolding or opening the trade period with De Goey and others and the desperate need to get elite talent in.
“But it doesn’t feel like St Kilda are going to be able to achieve much in this trade period.
“It’s a little bit depressing for those Saints fans hoping to improve next year.”
In response to Cornes, Matthew Lloyd says St Kilda “isn’t an attractive place” for recruits as they currently “don’t have a winning culture”, much like his former club Essendon.
“A lot of them wouldn’t know what a winning culture is, and I say that about Essendon as well,” Lloyd said.
“I was having a good chat with Michael Hurley at the Crichton Medal the other night and Michael walks away having never won a final in his time.
“We sit here during the trade period and (Ollie) Henry wants to go to Geelong, (Tanner) Bruhn wants to go to Geelong, (Jack) Bowes wants to go to Geelong.
“But St Kilda isn’t an attractive place, Essendon isn’t an attractive place and there’s a lot of clubs in the same boat.
“But that can change in the years to come.”
St Kilda appointed Geoff Walsh as the club’s new executive general executive manager of football earlier this week.
The experienced football administrator says he hopes to bring a new level of “due respect” to the club.