GOLD Coast's Sam Flanders wants to be traded to St Kilda.

Flanders had been in demand from a range of Victorian clubs, with Essendon and Melbourne also meeting with the Suns midfielder as recently as this week.

But AFL.com.au's Cal Twomey reported on Saturday that Flanders has chosen St Kilda as his preferred destination.

Twomey reported that St Kilda has put its first-round draft pick - currently Pick 7 - on the table to get the Flanders deal done, with that pick then likely to be part of Gold Coast's move to get Christian Petracca to the Suns from Melbourne.

Had Flanders chosen Melbourne, it would have smoothed the path for a simpler two-club deal that would have seen Petracca join the Suns and Flanders head the other way.

AFL.com.au reported on Thursday that Flanders had met with the Saints, Demons and Bombers this week as he weighed up his decision.

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Carlton had also had interest in Flanders and met with him last month, but as reported by AFL.com.au on Thursday, the Blues have diverted their attention elsewhere.

Flanders' decision continues a bumper off-season for the Saints, who on Friday secured Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni as free agents.

Leek Aleer and Liam Ryan have also expressed a desire to move to Moorabbin.

The Saints also announced on Friday that Jack Steele has stood down as captain and has been encouraged to explore a trade, while ruck Rowan Marshall has requested a move to Geelong.