ST KILDA wants to add an additional top 20 selection to its NAB AFL Draft arsenal, but maintain Leigh Montagna is not part of a plan to achieve that.
The Saints traded ruckman Ben McEvoy for Hawthorn's first-round draft pick – currently No.17 – and midfielder Shane Savage on Thursday.
They're currently locked in a stalemate with North Melbourne over Nick Dal Santo, with a difference of opinion on how a deal could get done and the Saints’ openness to keeping the veteran midfielder if North’s offer doesn't increase.
The Saints now hold draft picks No.3 and No.17, and while Dal Santo won't go to Arden Street for nothing and Montagna is not on the table – even for the Hawks' first-round compensation pick for Lance Franklin – St Kilda believe they're "well positioned" to obtain a third top 20 selection.
"One of the strategic drivers that we set ourselves coming into the trade period was to finish up with three picks inside 20 and in the first round," list manager Ameet Bains told Gillette AFL Trade Radio on Thursday.
"We think that's the quickest way for us to start transitioning our list and we obviously now have picks No.3 and 17 as it stands.
"It would be fair to say we're exploring a few different options."
The Saints maintain McEvoy wasn't pushed, saying the ruckman was open to the idea of going to a team currently in the premiership window.
They deny there was a deadline for the Kangaroos to propose a deal better than the one currently on offer for Dal Santo.
Bains said the Saints wouldn't let negotiations drag on and were hoping for a resolution soon.
"We've put a position to North Melbourne, they've put a position to us, there is a difference of opinion on that," Bains said.
"We're not in a position where we're pushing blokes out of the club.
"Again, it needs to satisfy part of our strategic rebuild in terms of what we bring back into the club and if it doesn't satisfy that, he (Dal Santo) is comfortable remaining at the club."
With McEvoy gone, it leaves Rhys Stanley and the untried Lewis Pierce as the Saints' ruck back-ups to former Gold Coast big man Tom Hickey.
The Saints haven't spoken to Brisbane Lions ruckman Billy Longer, who was linked to the Hawks and the pick the Saints have now acquired, or Adelaide's Shaun McKernan.
In the first few days of the exchange period, Greater Western Sydney ruckman Jonathan Giles has been talked about, after reports he was disappointed with the Giants' recruitment of Shane Mumford.
Bains was also asked about Geelong ruckman Trent West but was reluctant to comment on any of the big men currently being bandied about.
"[The McEvoy trade] has come about very quickly in the last couple of days, so we need to sit down now and make an assessment on what we do next," he said.
"There are a lot of names out there in terms of ruck prospects on AFL lists, a couple who have dropped off and even (some) at state league level.
"We do have a lot of faith in Tom Hickey and hence why we pursued him so aggressively last year, but we do need to look at the entire picture and see what we might do in the balance of the trade period and with the draft to remedy that.
"I'm not in a position to give any definitive comment on that just yet."
The Saints remain "very hopeful" of striking a deal with the Giants for defender Josh Bruce, who has nominated them as his desired home for 2014.
Bains also said there had been little discussion about Sam Fisher and a move to GWS, and at this stage expected the defender to remain a Saint.
