ST KILDA had a quietly busy National Draft, selecting the second-most players with six fresh faces landing at Moorabbin. Despite nominating a trio of club-tied prospects, the Saints explored other options and ended up with a good variety of talent, including two top 10 picks.

>> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Rookie Draft
>> FREE: View the 2024 AFL Draft Guide

DRAFT HAUL

National Draft:

8. Tobie Travaglia
10. Alix Tauru
32. James Barrat
45. Hugh Boxshall
53. Alex Dodson
60. Patrick Said

Rookie Draft:

5. Brad Crouch (re-listed)

>> CLICK each player’s names for full profiles & highlights

Poised nicely with two consecutive picks in the top 10, St Kilda was among the winners on night one of the draft. The Saints’ selections were split by a bid on Gold Coast Suns Academy gun Leo Lombard, which was duly matched to put footy boss David Misson and his team back on the clock.

The Saints first went with Tobie Travaglia, a utility whose traits suit their system. He mostly cut his teeth as an outside runner across half-back and the wing, but also has scope to develop as a midfielder. Above all, his ability to take the play on with repeat speed lives up to the modern game.

If Travaglia was highly sought after within the 8-12 range, then interest was at a whole other level for Alix Tauru. A point of difference among the wealth of high-end midfield talent, the high-flying swingman was duly snapped up with pick 10 as a prospect with enormous upside.

Tauru’s raw athleticism is what catches the eye most, and he uses it to pull off spectacular aerial feats. What’s more, he attacks the ball hard and can do it at both ends of the ground. Many clubs were in for the 193cm talent, who finally got a clean run at it and prospered in the back-end of 2024.

The theme of versatility carried on into night two as the Saints snapped up another tall utility in James Barrat. A teammate of Travaglia at the Bendigo Pioneers, Barrat started the year up forward but his contested marking ability and wicked distribution by foot translated well to swinging down back.

Barrat’s selection, especially in the context of Travaglia and Tauru before him, all but put a nail in St Kilda’s non-committal interest in its Next Generation Academy prospects – Lennox Hofmann and Adrian Cole. Hofmann (pick 66) landed at Geelong with an unmatched bid, while Cole went undrafted.

The Saint would go on to hit the live trade scene and nab WA midfielder Hugh Boxshall at pick 45. His late-season form had him pegged as a top 40 bolter, possessing strong running ability to go with a readymade 188cm frame and terrific stoppage craft. The Saints desperately needed on-ball depth.

Another interstater, Alex Dodson was one of the steals of the draft at pick 53. Considered the best ruck available, the former basketballer was snapped up later than expected after clubs prioritised the depth of smaller utility and midfield options. Still, his upside as a roaming tall is significant.

Only 12 months removed from a surprise play at Hugo Garcia, the Saints recruited another Calder Cannons graduate with their last pick in Patrick Said. The consistent midfielder-forward possesses a classy side-step and is accustomed to hitting the scoreboard each week.

After a bumper National Draft haul, Brad Crouch was re-listed by the Saints as a rookie, only to retire earlier this week. As a result, 26-year-old Norwood ruck Harry Boyd has been invited to train with the club in hopes of being signed during the supplementary selection period.