ST KILDA veteran Nick Dal Santo says it hasn’t crossed his mind to leave the Saints and chase an elusive premiership with a rival club.
Despite being listed as a restricted free agent, Dal Santo, 29, has a clause in his contract that guarantees him another season at the Saints provided he passes a medical at the end of this year.
After the Saints' stuttering season continued with a loss to the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, Dal Santo denied he would look elsewhere at the end of this year.
"To be completely honest, I’ve never thought about it," Dal Santo said on Nine’s TAC Cup Future Stars.
"I’ve been there since I was 17. I love the club, I love the boys and it’s round nine. I’m in no position and I’ve got a contract, I’m still in contract, it’s not even a thought at this stage.
"I’m still in contract, I signed a four-year deal, with a trigger, which basically protects the club.
"It means if I broke my leg, broke my back and or couldn’t play, my last year of that contract wouldn’t be there.
"I need to improve my form, I accept that and we need to get better as a club."
Debate has raged that senior Saints players may look to follow the lead of Brendon Goddard and end their careers at a club in a premiership window.
Goddard joined Essendon as a free agent at the end of last season.
"We’ve had some really good times and we’re obviously not winning games, which is really frustrating, that’s the main feeling we have at the moment, frustration," Dal Santo said.
"We’ve got some really good young kids finally getting some opportunities. We’ve been, I guess, criticised in the last three to five years about not giving young guys a chance."
The Saints have four other unrestricted free agents – Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke, Stephen Milne and Jason Blake.
