Stars to remain Saints
05/07/2007 3:36 PM
St Kilda stars Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal Santo and Xavier Clarke look set to play on with the Saints despite coach Ross Lyon remaining tight-lipped about the details of their contracts, which expire at season's end.
Lyon said he would let managers negotiate with the trio while he focused on his team's upcoming match against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday.
"Ken Sheldon's our football manager and they [the players] have obviously got Ricky Nixon [as their manager] and they seem to be across it so look, on the surface it [negotiating] seems to be going well," Lyon said on Thursday.
"My philosophy is to let the cobblers do the cobbling so I'll let them come to an arrangement but all I can say is both Nicks and anyone else out of contract will be focusing on their footy and the game next week."
The trio brings a wealth of talent and experience to the Saints' side, having played 324 matches between them, 15 of those being finals.
Riewoldt and Dal Santo are two of the AFL's highest-profile players, both having gained All-Australian selection at stages during their careers.
Riewoldt, a three-time best and fairest winner, was the AFL's Rising Star for 2002 and captained the club in 2005, the same year Dal Santo finished third in the Brownlow Medal count.