There is speculation that Rowan Marshall is somewhat unsettled at St Kilda.
Channel 9 journalist and SEN regular Tom Morris alluded to it on Monday when suggesting that the Saints ruckman could be a contracted player to keep an eye on this coming trade period.
Morris said that Marshall “is one of those players that might have a look around if the right deal presents itself”, indicating that he is “just a little bit less settled than others”.
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What makes it a peculiar situation is that in 2022 Marshall signed a five-year extension tying him to Moorabbin until the end of the 2027 season.
Nevertheless, the noise persists and it created a discussion between Sam Edmund, Kane Cornes and Gerard Healy on SEN’s Sportsday.
Edmund explained that some rival clubs are of the belief that Marshall is not fully happy at the Saints when responding to a question from a caller.
“He’s contracted until the end of 2027, it was a five-year deal in the end, a long-term commitment,” Edmund said of the 28-year-old.
“What I can tell you is that other clubs have been informed that there is an element of disgruntlement, of unsettlement, whatever word you want to use.
“Safe to say, according to those clubs, they have been informed that he is not 100 per cent happy and satisfied with life at St Kilda at the moment.
“Now, is that to the point where he’s going to follow it through and put in a trade request? We don’t know. There’s a fair bit of water to go under the bridge to say the least.
“In terms of the caller and the question he has asked – I don’t pretend to know the finer details of it and we’d only be speculating – other than to tell you that other clubs have been alerted that this might be something the might play out in the second half of the season.”
Cornes wondered if a club like Geelong, whose ruck issues have been magnified lately, would throw some draft picks at the Saints in a bit to lure Marshall to GMHBA Stadium.
“If you’re the Saints and you’re going, ‘our priority was to bring in some A-grade talent’, usually that happens through the draft,” Cornes suggested.
“Are they prepared to perhaps look at it and go, ‘Geelong, you have not had a ruckman for 10 years. Here’s the next Brodie Grundy, you can have him, but you’ve got be prepared to give us your first pick in the draft’.
“That is the model that Geelong has done in the past.
“Is that something you would consider if you were the Saints and if you were Geelong on the other side?”
Brownlow Medallist Healy answered the question from Cornes.
“I wouldn’t be considering it, no, not if I’m the Saints,” said Healy.
“If you’ve signed him up for five (years) you can’t change your mind that dramatically over that period of time.”
Cornes: “Even if he’s unhappy?”
Healy: “I’d be wondering why he’s not happy and trying to sort that out.”
Edmund: “Things can change quickly of course.”
Marshall has been one of the form ruckmen in the AFL this season, averaging 26.8 hit-outs, 20.3 disposals, 10.9 contested possessions, 5.9 clearances and 5.1 marks per game.
He finished third in St Kilda’s best fairest last year.