St Kilda is shaping up to be one of the biggest movers in the upcoming off-season, and captain Jack Steele could be among them.
Following his exit meeting, the Saints captain was told that he is “welcome” to explore his options at rival clubs if he seeks more permanent midfield time.
Steele, who is contracted until 2027 and wants to remain in Moorabbin, has already been linked with former club GWS throughout the year in a bid to bolster their on-ball stocks.
But there is a host of clubs around the competition that would benefit from the 29-year-old’s services.
So, which teams could make a ‘Moneyball’ selection and pry Steele out of St Kilda?
We look at five potential landing spots for Jack Steele.
GWS
Steele began his AFL career in New South Wales after he was drafted from the ACT Rams with Pick 24 in the 2014 draft intake.
GWS is in need, and has been on the front foot in terms of bolstering their midfield stocks, having been linked with Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver.
Adam Kingsley would like more support for Tom Green and Finn Callaghan, who, despite their immediate rise to stardom, and relatively in their infancy in the top-flight.
Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly battled with injuries throughout the year, while the retirement of club legend Callan Ward also opens a vacancy.
Steele is the perfect balance of contested ball-winning and defensive running as a midfielder, which could be a much-needed addition to the Giants’ line-up.
Collingwood
The Pies’ big failure throughout 2025 was their contested ball record, ranking 14th in the competition.
Whilst Tom Mitchell and Jordan De Goey missed the majority of the season through injury, Collingwood relied on youngster Ned Long, as well as veterans Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom, to compete with the competition’s best ball-winners.
Steele would alleviate the pressure on the Pies midfield group, whilst also allowing Nick and Josh Daicos to play more of an outside role.
The Saint would also add a defensive element to the side.
Melbourne
The Demons link is obvious.
Both Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver could exit the club in the coming weeks, opening up multiple midfield vacancies among a chorus of young talent.
However, with the premiership pair likely out the door, it would be incumbent on Melbourne to add some much-needed experience to the group, and Steele would fit the bill.
His contested and defensive work would help safeguard an aggressive game plan, which is what new senior coach Steven King is proposing.
Club leader Jack Viney is on the list and plays a similar role to Steele; however, the former Giant could come in at a low cost, and should be a relatively swift movement in terms of trade.
West Coast
Steele should be on the agenda at the Eagles.
The club is crying out for some leadership, and the Saints skipper has it in spades, leading the Moorabbin club since 2021.
Elliot Yeo and Tim Kelly are the veterans of the club, but have faced both injury and form troubles in recent years, limiting their output on the field.
Harley Reid is in desperate need of guidance and support, while the development of Elijah Hewett, Brady Hough, Bo Allan and Jack Hutchinson would be enhanced by the arrival of Steele.
Adelaide
The Crows are a similar prospect to Collingwood.
In the finals, Adelaide were found out for their lack of midfield depth, and without star Izak Rankine, they failed to fire a shot amid a straight-sets exit.
Captain Jordan Dawson struggled to cope with the momentum of opposition clubs in September, and required more leaders around him.
Steele would be able to provide Matthew Nicks with that, whilst also assisting with contested work and defensive running.
