Saints off Blake contract
Saints move for ruckman Blake
Stephen Rielly | October 9, 2007|Realfooty
ST KILDA moved straight to the heart of a heated market for ruckmen yesterday by offering a three-year contract to Geelong's Mark Blake that, financially, is likely to be beyond the premiers to match.
Blake is yet to decide if he will leave behind the disappointment of his 11th-hour omission from the premiership team for a new start but the Saints signalled their intention yesterday to make that decision easier rather than harder with their offer, which is understood to be in excess of $800,000 over the three years.
"Like a lot of clubs we're looking to bolster our ruck division. With a young ruckman like Mark Blake considering his future, we're putting St Kilda at the forefront," said football operations manager, Ken Sheldon.
The Cats told clubs on the opening day of trading yesterday that Blake is required at Geelong — as is midfielder Brent Prismall — and did not raise the option of moving Steven King on to ease Blake's concerns about again playing third banana to Brad Ottens and the man who replaced him in the grand final 22.
The Saints are less interested in King who, at 28, is six years older than Blake, but the former captain is likely to be the player the Cats release if one has to go — especially if money has to be found to improve Blake's offer against the salary cap pressure that will inevitably increase as the club seeks to hold its premiership list together.
Whether the Saints, who also have an interest in Melbourne's Chris Johnson, are prepared to go as far as offering their first-round selection (pick nine) to Geelong for Blake was unclear last night but they were conceding that they will need to trade given the interest from Richmond, among others, in the follower.
The Tigers, with first pick in the pre-season draft, have another option available to them. Richmond's director of football, Greg Miller, met Blake's agent Anthony McConville yesterday afternoon.
The Cats indicated yesterday that they are prepared to discuss Charlie Gardiner, Henry Playfair and Kane Tenace and have all but agreed to release Tim Callan to the Western Bulldogs for a late-round pick, but Geelong would not budge on Prismall despite interest from Essendon and Melbourne.
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Pretty bad that they've offered him more than us, looks like either him or King has to go to make room for the other. Sad to think they most likely won't play in the same team again.