ST KILDA has ruled out trading its first pick in this year's NAB AFL Draft, ensuring the club will hold a selection inside the top 10 for the first time since 2007.  

With two rounds to play this season the Saints can't climb higher than their current 16th place on the ladder, all but guaranteeing they will take pick No.3 into the 2013 Draft. 

Head of football Chris Pelchen addressed a small group of premium club members on Monday night, where it is understood he touched on a number of the Saints' key draft and trade plans. 

Club sources have since confirmed to AFL.com.au the club is very unlikely to trade pick No.3, with premium youngsters Jack Billings, Josh Kelly, Matt Scharenberg and James Aish in the Saints' sights.

It would take a 'Godfather offer' for the club to part with the prized pick.

St Kilda's last top-10 selection was ruckman Ben McEvoy, who was selected with pick No.9 in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft. 

The club hasn't held a selection inside the top-20 since 2008 when it snared key forward Tom Lynch, who was then traded to Adelaide at the end of 2011. 

Last year St Kilda traded both its first-round selections, including the compensation pick received for Brendon Goddard, in deals that secured tall forward Tom Lee and ruckman Tom Hickey, as well as improved selections later in the Draft.  

In 2011, the club downgraded its first selection from No.20 to No.25 in order to land small forwards Ahmed Saad and Terry Milera, who were pre-listed with Greater Western Sydney. 

Coach Scott Watters has forecast an aggressive approach to list management this October, saying the club is going to "exhaust every opportunity from free agency to trade".

The club is still proactively pursuing a key defender after failing to secure West Coast tall Mitch Brown last year.   

Twitter: @AFL_Nathan