ST Kilda has loaded up on a couple of second-rounders next year in a stronger draft pool as the Saints slid back to Pick 24 in Monday night’s AFLW Draft. The Saints met a need by bringing in a young key forward, while delisting half a dozen players.

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2025 RECORD: 7th (H&A) | 7-5 | 87.5% | Eliminated: Elimination Final
2025 PICKS: 24, 31, 42, 85, 87
FUTURE PICKS: ’26 R1 (St Kilda), ’26 R2 (Essendon), ’26 R2 (Geelong), ’26 R3 (St Kilda)

LIST CHANGES:

IN
Sophie Butterworth (trade, Hawthorn)

OUT
Rebecca Ott (delisted), Natalie Plane (delisted), Charlotte Simpson (delisted), Hannah Stuart (delisted), Arianna Clarke (delisted), Lilu Hung (delisted), Nicola Stevens (trade, Geelong)

St Kilda had a relatively quiet Trade Period, adding Sophie Butterworth as a young key forward option to support Jesse Wardlaw and give her more opportunities than at the Hawks. The Saints were a touch ruthless with their delistings, while traded veteran Nicola Stevens to her fourth club in Geelong.

FIRST PICK:
Pick 24

St Kilda is in an interesting spot at Pick 24, with a real wait-and-see position on what will come of the first round. The Saints will end up selecting first in the second round due to all the Academy bids knocking off Gold Coast’s plethora of picks, and allow them to pick up a quality slider, or even an exciting bolter.

Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels’ Jovie Skewes-Clinton is one such player who might be around the mark, having impressed up both ends for the Rebels and loves a goal celebration. She has plenty of X-factor and will add a different look to the forwardline when she can play as both a target and a crumber such is her smarts at ground level.

If the Saints look a little taller, there is a slight chance that ultra-athletic ruck Josephine Bamford could be on the board and she would be difficult to ignore given the dearth of choices in that position later in the draft. Northern Knights’ Marlo Graham and defenders Olivia Crane and Mizuki Brothwell are another couple in that region who can slot into the Saints side early next year.

REMAINING CROP:
Picks 31, 42

St Kilda has the potential to add a pair of twins with Brothwell and her sister Nalu with the first two picks, which would help add depth to both ends of the ground as marking players with high upside. The Saints struggled with clearances for the most part this season, so an inside midfielder along the lines of Olivia Gorman or Renee Morgan can immediately help with that.

The Saints could stretch the Suns by bidding on Academy prospect Rhianna Ingram having had plenty of links to Queensland over the journey, while athletic key defender Zara Neuwirth and West Australian all-round talent Maya Louvel-Finn are also in that group. There are quite a few Sandgropers potentially in that region with athletic tall forward Alicia Blizard another name in the mix.

St Kilda was not too far off this year at times and will be wanting to maintain its place in finals next season, so a mature-age option at Pick 42 is not off the cards. The Saints might scoop up one of their local Sandringham prospects in train-on and Zebras skipper Grace Hodder, bigger-bodied inside midfielder Abbey Tregellis or a readymade forward in ex-Hawk Sophie Locke. Collingwood VFLW Rising Star winner Tahlia Sanger and inside midfield options such as Williamstown skipper Emily Eaves have to come into consideration as well.

KEY QUESTIONS:

– Do the Saints address an inside midfield need or go for another tall with the first selection?
– Will the Saints pick on upside or more readymade players to bring in?
– Does St Kilda pull the trigger on a mature-age prospect with the later selection?