Saints in 11th-hour deals bid

Out of nowhere they could be the big winners of trade week

ST KILDA is set to emerge as the trade period’s triumphant victor after nailing a complex deal that secured Paddy Ryder, Dougal Howard and the picks for Brad Hill.

The Saints will approach the last day of the trade period believing they can achieve their grand vision with Sydney’s Zak Jones and Richmond’s Dan Butler joining that trio. Yesterday they turned picks 12 and 18 into 10, Howard and Ryder, with the Power and Saints also swapping third and fourth-round picks.

St Kilda is hoping to preserve its first-round pick tomorrow but will hope to nail Fremantle wingman Hill for pick 10 and a future secondround pick.

Saints utility Blake Acres could also be thrown into the trade after heading to Perth yesterday to assess a move home.

The club also wants to turn a pick for the departing Josh Bruce into the selection that secures Jones, hoping it can give the Dogs’ 32 on to Sydney for its hard-nosed mid Jones.

List boss James Gallagher said yesterday if deals were done for Jones and Hill they would occur tomorrow.

“We have a fair bit of work to do but it feels like we are finding some common ground with clubs. We are slowly getting there,” he said.

“To bring Howard and Ryder in is really big for our footy club. We need someone to ruck with Rowan Marshall and we couldn’t be happier to get Dougal in.”

He said the Bruce-to-Bulldogs deal was “inching closer” but the Saints needed a fair pick, while there were enough options to get Hill to Moorabbin.

“We are really keen to get the Hill deal done and there are a number of ways we can offer Fremantle a fair deal.

“We are open-minded about all of that.”

If the Saints can emerge from the trade period with next year’s first-rounder intact, they will believe they have turned around their fortunes in the space of a single trade period.

None of it will come cheap, with Howard understood to be on a five-year deal of up to $600,000, Hill probably asking $900,000 over six years and Jones sure to be on a wage over $500,000.

Howard, 23, is a 199cm swingman who the Saints want to settle into defence, believing he can be their defensive rock for the better part of the next decade.

Ryder will add ruck craft and also play forward at times to help young emerging star Rowan Marshall.