Contract silence is deafeningBy Ashley Browne
Tue 19 Jun, 2012 "Forget Collingwood," one leading player manager said last week. "The story you should be writing is St Kilda."
The Saints have serious list management issues, with a host of top line Saints out of contract. When various football types get together (we are in the middle of the NAB AFL U18 championships) the issue of how the Saints will keep their list together is a frequent topic of conversation.
Brendon Goddard and Leigh Montagna head the list of uncontracted Saints, while fellow veterans Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke, Jason Gram, James Gwilt, Stephen Milne, Sam Gilbert and Raph Clarke are also yet to put pen to paper.
The list of unsigned Saints also includes Rhys Stanley, Arryn Siposs and Jarryn Geary.
The problem for the Saints is, they are sailing close to the wind with their salary cap. It is the reason Zac Dawson walked to Fremantle at the end of last season and why Luke Ball went to Collingwood at the end of 2009.
Those outside the club hold little hope that the Saints can re-sign all their big names at the end of this season unless some of those earning considerably big money are prepared to take some sort of financial haircut.
"They'll have to let someone go," said another player manager who asked not to be named. "I can't see how they keep them all, unless they pay some of them significantly less than they are getting at the moment or for far less than they could command in an open market."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/139007/default.aspx
