Saints defender meets with rival: AFL trade news

There have been reports that Ben Paton, a diminutive defender for St. Kilda, has visited with GWS, which is looking to bring in talent that is already established.

As a result of the losses of Isaac Cumming (Adelaide), Harry Perryman (Collingwood), and Nick Haynes (Carlton), the Giants are currently in the premiership window and are looking to strengthen their defensive line-up.

Since being selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2017 National Draft, Paton has participated in 71 games; however, he has struggled to get on the field this year, only participating in four matches thus far.

The 25-year-old who has not yet signed a contract for the year 2025 and has not been included in any of St. Kilda’s delistings up to this point is still in a state of uncertainty for the following year.

Historically, the Giants have utilized the rookie draft as a means of re-collecting players who have been delisted; however, following the conclusion of the trading period, they will be looking to acquire more experience.

Paton is currently going through his prime and would be able to contain some of the finest small forwards in the game if he were at his best.

Additionally, he would bring a sense of speed and daring to their back half, which is a significant strength of Adam Kingsley’s team.

The Saints could delist him, which would allow GWS to acquire him as a free agent or seek to broker a deal for him if the Saints decided to delist him.