Leek Aleer, a 24-year-old defender, is anticipated to remain with Greater Western Sydney (GWS) after St Kilda withdrew from trade discussions. Despite St Kilda’s substantial four-year contract offer, Aleer’s management has made it clear they will not do favors for the club. This call follows two years of St Kilda chasing the highly coveted prodigy.
St Kilda wanted to add more depth and experience to their defensive unit with Aleer. He has shown immense talent in his short time at GWS. The club’s recent withdrawal from negotiations shows a new change in strategic direction. Sadly, St Kilda’s decision has a direct impact on Aleer. It would jeopardize their longterm relationship with another up and coming star, Alix Tauru, down the line.
Tauru, aka “The Flying Viking,” had an outstanding debut performance in June. He has since solidified his spot in St Kilda’s best 22 for the remainder of the season. Tauru has an incredible four-year proposal from St Kilda currently on her table. He will be out of contract in just two years’ time. His management are currently in talks with St Kilda about his future. This is further evidence that the club is still open to retaining him going forward.
Now, the saga of Aleer has potentially made things difficult for Tauru. St Kilda’s handling of Aleer’s potential transfer has raised serious questions about their commitment to building a team through developing young talent. This handicap has the potential to color Tauru’s perception of the club. Tauru is likely to be a breakout star in the league if not next year, then in two or three years. Though, internally at least, he might be wondering about his long-term future with St Kilda.
Tasmania, a new football club in the making, has an even more compelling angle to this story. They should target Tauru as their marquee signing. Tasmania has arguably best controlled conversations with Tauru and would offer a cash sweetening potential. They are promising a piece of a $5 million sign-on bonus. Which means signing up for the new club is more appealing, too!
Aleer’s management has emphasized that they will not be providing any favors to St Kilda, suggesting that their focus will remain on maximizing Aleer’s potential with GWS instead. Aleer has an interesting pre-season ahead of him. He’s still developing now, but we feel he’s becoming an elite player in the next few years.
Now, St Kilda finds itself with new, daunting challenges along its path to a successful partnership with Aleer and Tauru. It will be fascinating to watch how they manage these changes. The choices they’re faced with now will greatly determine how their fare on the court next year and beyond.
