The 2026 trade period is officially open, and once again the Saints are going to be right in the thick of it.

We’ve got a ruckman who wants out, a premiership midfielder who wants in, and a young defender whose future has been up and down for weeks. Plenty to get through.

The window runs for 10 days and wraps up on deadline day, Wednesday October 14. Free agency opened on Friday, with the first deadline this Friday, October 9.

This time last year we were the busiest club in the comp. Sam Flanders came across from Gold Coast for pick 7, Liam Ryan arrived from West Coast, and Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni both joined as free agents. Honestly it hasn’t paid off the way we hoped yet – we missed September, finishing 10 points behind Carlton for the last Wildcard spot. With Ross Lyon heading into the last year of his contract, this window matters.

Follow every move in the Off-Season Hub

Who’s coming in

The big one is Sam Marshall. The Brisbane premiership midfielder requested a trade to St Kilda last week, picking us over Essendon. He’s 20, out of contract and has a three-year deal waiting at Moorabbin.

Marshall played 11 games in his first year in 2025, including the Grand Final. This year he only got two games at AFL level, but he was a gun in the VFL, averaging 25 disposals across 16 games. Lenny Hayes said the club sees him as another piece of the young midfield we’ve been building. Now it’s up to list manager Stephen Silvagni and head of talent Graeme Allan to get it done.

The Lions want fair value, which is fair enough. But we’ve got a backup plan – because we finished below Brisbane on the ladder, we could take him through the pre-season draft if the two clubs can’t agree.

Here’s who else has been linked:

See a pattern? It’s all defenders. We want a player back from Geelong in any ruck deal, and Lobb and Short both point to a club looking for some experience down back. And knowing how we went last year, I wouldn’t rule out a name nobody’s mentioned yet.

Who’s heading out

Rowan Marshall, round two. He’s requested a trade for the second year in a row and again he wants to go to Geelong. He’s 30, contracted until the end of 2027 and played 21 games this year alongside TDK.

We knocked the move back 12 months ago. This time the club is open to it, as long as the price is right. The Age has reported we want Geelong’s first-round pick, currently pick 14, plus a player. Kane Cornes called it the dumbest request he’s heard from a club in years, pointing to Rowan’s age, his one year left and the money we’ve already spent on De Koning.

Hayes isn’t backing down. He pointed out Rowan has finished top six in the best and fairest in each of the last three years, and said the combo with TDK worked really well this season. Geelong has already said no to Lawson Humphries, so the player part of the deal is where it’s stuck.

Alix Tauru looks like he’s staying. He toured Gold Coast’s facilities and spoke to Tasmania, and at one stage the club told rivals it would listen to offers. Now Hayes says Tauru has told the club he’s happy, and there’s still a four-year extension on the table for him.

Mattaes Phillipou was reported to be looking for a move, but Hayes said that was news to the club. He’s contracted, he’s played 65 games, and our list team rang his management to make clear the report didn’t come from us.

Some news on contracts too – Dan Butler has signed on for 2027 and Liam Stocker has re-signed. Jack Carroll will probably have to wait until after the trade and draft periods to find out where he stands.

What we’ve got to trade with

Our main chip is pick 8. On the latest indicative draft order, we hold picks 8, 49, 67 and 85. Our second-rounder, pick 27, belongs to Hawthorn after last year’s deals.

That’s a big gap between 8 and 49, and it’s exactly why getting Geelong’s pick 14 for Rowan matters so much. Two first-rounders would give us room to pay Brisbane for Sam Marshall and still head to the draft with a top-10 pick.

Free agency has been quiet for us this year. Lachie Neale, who we were linked to mid-season, has gone to Collingwood. The big spending happened 12 months ago when De Koning and Silvagni came in.

What to keep an eye on

1. The Rowan Marshall standoff. If we hold out for pick 14 and a player, this could go right down to deadline day again. Last year we kept him, this year both clubs actually want a deal.
2. What Sam Marshall costs. Brisbane wants fair value, we’ve got the pre-season draft up our sleeve. Watch whether Geelong’s pick 14 ends up being what gets him over the line.
3. One more defender. Lobb doesn’t look likely, so a late move for Jayden Short or another experienced back could happen.
4. Nasiah. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera goes into the last year of his deal in 2027, and Geelong’s Andrew Mackie has already flagged the Cats are looking at next year’s big names. Everything we do this trade period is also about showing Nasiah the club is heading somewhere.

Key dates – free agency’s first deadline is Friday October 9, and deadline day is Wednesday October 14.

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