St Kilda Withdrawsโ Pursuit of Leek Aleer in Trade Period Shock
Octoberโ 9, โ2025 – In a stunning development during the โAFL trade period, St Kilda has abruptly ended its pursuit of Greater Western Sydney (GWS) defender Leek Aleer, leaving the player adn clubsโค scramblingโ toโ reassess โoptions. the Saints had been heavily linked to Aleer for months, but withdrew from negotiations citing financial constraints and shifting list priorities.
The reversalโค raises questions โabout the club’s initial commitment to Aleer andโฃ the factors that led toโข the sudden change of heart. Sources suggest a combination of increased contract demands from existing players and the acquisition of other targets contributed to the decision.โค
St Kilda recently extended Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s contract โto a โreported โ$2 million โper season – possibly $1 million more than initially anticipated. The club also committed funds toโข secureโ the services of Wilkie and Flanders, further tightening the โsalary cap. This financial pressure may โขhave led the โSaints to reconsider Aleer’s price tag,โ potentially viewingโค him as a “scapegoat” to manage their budget.
Ther is speculation that St Kilda mayโฃ be attempting to leverage โขGWS’s โฃinterest in Clayton Oliver to โnegotiateโ a โmore favorable deal for Aleer, or even potentially secure him for free. While GWS is believed to be open to re-signing Aleer, they have alreadyโ secured Jayden Laverde to address their defensive needs, creating list spot congestion. This could open a pathway โคfor Aleer to return โคto the Giants on reduced terms, or for St Kilda to acquire him without trading assets.
the situation is further intricate by โขAleer’sโค management, Centimeter Perfect Global, recently experiencing a collapsed dealโ with Melbourne regarding Wade Derksen. This โagency also represents โคSt Kilda’s Alix Tauru, whose โขupcomingโ contract negotiations couldโฃ be impacted โby the โขcurrent circumstances.
Aleer now faces an uncertain futureโข with limited time to find a new club. The Western Bulldogs have been mentioned as a potential โsuitor, given their need for a key back, but their interest remains unconfirmed. Collingwood and North Melbourne have also been speculated as possible destinations for the athletic 195cm defender.
However, other clubs seeking defensive reinforcements have already made commitments, with โฃCarlton targeting Buku Khamis and Sydney set โto add โjaiโ Serong. This makes it difficultโ for Aleer to slot โฃinto existing plans, andโฃ prospective clubs face a tight โขtimeframe to adjust their strategies.
The Saints’ withdrawal from the Aleer deal โฃadds another layer of complexity toโข an already unpredictable trade period, and the full reasons behind the โdecision may not be known for some time. The situation continuesโ to develop,โ with all eyes on Aleer’s next moveโค and St Kilda’s potential pursuit of option trade targets.