St Kilda “desperately” needs to bolster their defence with another key defender this off-season, according to former AFL recruiter Matt Rendell.
Dougal Howard and Callum Wilkie are the Saints’ rocks in defence, while intercept defender Tom Highmore showed promise in his debut season.
Rendell wonders if the Saints should target former Adelaide backman Daniel Talia to address their need for a defensive reinforcement.
Talia, who turns 30 in October, is available as a delisted free agent after he was not offered a new contract by the Crows for next year.
“I think they (St Kilda) desperately need another key back,” Rendell told AFL Trade Radio’s The Late Trade.
“At the moment they’ve got (Dougal) Howard as their main key defender and they’ve got (Callum) Wilkie playing as a key defender … he does a ripping job, but undersized and (Tom) Highmore as well.
“If they can sneak a key back this year and I’m thinking, ‘Can we get Talia for two years?’ He’s going to be cheap, he’s a lockdown defender and he takes the pressure off.
“I’d be surprised if they didn’t go for someone like that. He’s not going to cost them money. As long as his foot’s OK.
“They need to find a key back.”
Former Carlton list boss Stephen Silvagni thinks the Saints should steer clear of Talia due to concerns over his body.
“If they’ve played footy, sure, but when you’ve had a year off at his age,” Silvagni said.
“It didn’t work with (James) Frawley.
“For me, I would be targeting someone that’s actually played this year.”
St Kilda parted ways with key defenders Frawley, Jake Carlisle and Oscar Clavarino after the club’s disappointing 2021 campaign.