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- Aug 3, 2016
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St Kilda signs delisted Geelong ruckman Ryan Abbott as a delisted free agent
Active Saints hand AFL lifeline to delisted ruckman
www.foxsports.com.au
Delisted Geelong ruckman Ryan Abbott has received an AFL lifeline from St Kilda.
Foxsports.com.au can reveal the 28-year-old met with senior coach Brett Ratten earlier this week after meeting with list manager James Gallagher last week, before the Saints signed him as a delisted free agent on Friday afternoon.
St Kilda acquired All-Australian ruckman Paddy Ryder from Port Adelaide during the trade period and are set to pair the veteran with rising star Rowan Marshall, who finished second in this year’s Trevor Barker Award.
But after cutting former first-round pick Billy Longer and Lewis Pierce at the end of August, the Saints have turned to Abbott to improve their ruck depth ahead of 2020, with basketball convert Sam Alabakis the only other ruckman at Moorabbin.
St Kilda pro scout Stephen Lennie monitored Abbott’s progress throughout the year where he starred in the VFL but could only add one senior game to the four he played in 2018, despite Geelong’s unstable ruck situation.
Geelong had committed to putting Abbott on their rookie list if he didn’t find a home before the National Draft.
The 200cm, 100kg ruckman will start training at RSEA Park on Monday.