botts
Norm Smith Medallist
- Jun 11, 2021
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- 17,020
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
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Bulldogs, Lions sniff around luckless Saint Nick Coffield; Roos visit AFL for talks on assistance
Nick Coffield was a No.8 draft pick, but injuries have stalled his career at Moorabbin, while North Melbourne’s has ramped up their talks with the league about an assistance package.www.theage.com.au
Dogs sniffing around injured Saint
A second club – the Western Bulldogs – has expressed interest in hard-luck St Kilda defender Nick Coffield, one of a number of Saints whose future is in limbo.
Brisbane also inquired about the out-of-contract Coffield, the No.8 pick in the 2017 draft who has not played at AFL level since 2021 due to an ACL setback and then persistent calf issues.
The 23-year-old made it back for four VFL games late in the season, averaging 23 disposals, six marks and eight rebound 50s, and is one of a number of out-of-contract players on the Bulldogs’ radar, including promising Lion Kai Lohmann.
Rivals believe fellow Saints Hunter Clark and the contracted Jack Billings (2025) and Dougal Howard (2024) are also gettable. St Kilda are keen to invest in the draft, but none of this group is likely to score them a high-end selection.
Billings – who coach Ross Lyon views as a forward only – has mild interest elsewhere and would ideally like to move on after playing only three senior games this season, but key defender Howard seems more likely to stay.
Zak Jones, Jimmy Webster, Daniel McKenzie, Liam Stocker and Ryan Byrnes are also without a deal beyond this year. Restricted free agent Jade Gresham’s future is also uncertain, particularly given it is highly unlikely the Saints would receive first-round compensation for him.





