- Joined
- Mar 31, 2004
- Posts
- 6,447
- Reaction score
- 29
- Location
- Kizmiaz
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Other Teams
- BOMBERS & Newton Heath!
Saint in demand
June 16, 2005
The Saints are hoping they can hold on to the gifted Dal Santo.
Photo: Sebastian Costanzo
Top Saint Nick Dal Santo is looking at a new offer, one that would earn him far less than he could get elsewhere, Jake Niall reports.
St Kilda's emerging gun midfielder Nick Dal Santo will go home this weekend and consider a revised contract offer to remain with the Saints.
Dal Santo, the most keenly sought uncontracted AFL player who is yet to reach agreement with his club, will return to Bendigo tomorrow and discuss with his family an improved St Kilda offer that is still expected to be $250,000 or more a season shy of what he could receive from Collingwood, Essendon or other clubs.
Dal Santo's management talked to St Kilda coach Grant Thomas on Tuesday, with the Saints offering a two-year deal.
Dal Santo and midfielder Lenny Hayes are the club's priority signings now among the many uncontracted Saints, with Hayes close to accepting a new deal - the only hold-up being the terms of the third year of the contract. Hayes is understood to be satisfied with the first two years of the proposed contract.
Dal Santo's manager, Tom Petroro of Flying Start, said yesterday that Dal Santo would discuss the offer with his parents over the weekend before deciding whether to accept the two-year offer.
"He's going to go home and consider things over the weekend," said Petroro. "He's going to go home Friday and spend some time with his mum and dad and consider things."
A decision on the St Kilda offer could be made next week.
The Age believes St Kilda is not in a position to offer Dal Santo any more than $350,000, given the club's salary-cap pressures and the pay scales established in recent contracts signed by teammates, including Nick Riewoldt and Luke Ball.
In the marketplace, where cashed-up predators Collingwood and Essendon await, industry sources suggest Dal Santo, as a 21-year-old elite midfielder in the making, could receive up to $600,000.
The Kangaroos are also interested in Dal Santo should he become available.
Petroro said the meeting with Thomas, the only AFL coach who has responsibility for contract negotiations, had been "pretty good", but the matter was now in Dal Santo's hands.
"Grant and I had a pretty good meeting. Nick is now seeing where it's at."
The two-year offer was made at Dal Santo's request, with his management unwilling to commit for a longer term given the uncertainty about the total player payments beyond 2007 - a figure that would be largely determined by the next television rights deal.
Dal Santo is the major domino for the Saints as they approach the difficult, but not insurmountable, task of recontracting key players. Fraser Gehrig, Xavier and Raphael Clarke, Hayes and Justin Koschitzke are among the other players whom Thomas is keen to re-sign.
Talks with Koschitzke's management are not as advanced as those with either Dal Santo or Hayes.
Thomas has expressed confidence in the club's capacity to retain all its required players, despite the market pressures, having fended off raids on Luke Ball and Brendon Goddard last year.
June 16, 2005
The Saints are hoping they can hold on to the gifted Dal Santo.
Photo: Sebastian Costanzo
Top Saint Nick Dal Santo is looking at a new offer, one that would earn him far less than he could get elsewhere, Jake Niall reports.
St Kilda's emerging gun midfielder Nick Dal Santo will go home this weekend and consider a revised contract offer to remain with the Saints.
Dal Santo, the most keenly sought uncontracted AFL player who is yet to reach agreement with his club, will return to Bendigo tomorrow and discuss with his family an improved St Kilda offer that is still expected to be $250,000 or more a season shy of what he could receive from Collingwood, Essendon or other clubs.
Dal Santo's management talked to St Kilda coach Grant Thomas on Tuesday, with the Saints offering a two-year deal.
Dal Santo and midfielder Lenny Hayes are the club's priority signings now among the many uncontracted Saints, with Hayes close to accepting a new deal - the only hold-up being the terms of the third year of the contract. Hayes is understood to be satisfied with the first two years of the proposed contract.
Dal Santo's manager, Tom Petroro of Flying Start, said yesterday that Dal Santo would discuss the offer with his parents over the weekend before deciding whether to accept the two-year offer.
"He's going to go home and consider things over the weekend," said Petroro. "He's going to go home Friday and spend some time with his mum and dad and consider things."
A decision on the St Kilda offer could be made next week.
The Age believes St Kilda is not in a position to offer Dal Santo any more than $350,000, given the club's salary-cap pressures and the pay scales established in recent contracts signed by teammates, including Nick Riewoldt and Luke Ball.
In the marketplace, where cashed-up predators Collingwood and Essendon await, industry sources suggest Dal Santo, as a 21-year-old elite midfielder in the making, could receive up to $600,000.
The Kangaroos are also interested in Dal Santo should he become available.
Petroro said the meeting with Thomas, the only AFL coach who has responsibility for contract negotiations, had been "pretty good", but the matter was now in Dal Santo's hands.
"Grant and I had a pretty good meeting. Nick is now seeing where it's at."
The two-year offer was made at Dal Santo's request, with his management unwilling to commit for a longer term given the uncertainty about the total player payments beyond 2007 - a figure that would be largely determined by the next television rights deal.
Dal Santo is the major domino for the Saints as they approach the difficult, but not insurmountable, task of recontracting key players. Fraser Gehrig, Xavier and Raphael Clarke, Hayes and Justin Koschitzke are among the other players whom Thomas is keen to re-sign.
Talks with Koschitzke's management are not as advanced as those with either Dal Santo or Hayes.
Thomas has expressed confidence in the club's capacity to retain all its required players, despite the market pressures, having fended off raids on Luke Ball and Brendon Goddard last year.
I wonder if my team Port could afford him. We might have room in our salary cap next year if we get rid of some aging dead wood. Dal Santo is a gun, bring him on! 
