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ST KILDA may still be Jake Carlisle's first-choice destination but he'd settle for the Hawks ahead of the uncertainty of the pre-season draft.
That's the view of Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro, who has brokered a three-way deal with Hawthorn and North Melbourne that would send Carlisle to the reigning premier.
The Saints looked set to trade for Carlisle after he committed to the club, but they refused to give up their No.5 pick.
The resulting impasse between St Kilda and Essendon allowed Hawthorn to enter the running for the key-position player.
However, the 24-year-old confirmed to the Saints from overseas on Thursday he was still determined to move to Seaford, "from 2016 and beyond".
Carlton holds the first pick in the pre-season draft and was in the running for Carlisle at one stage. The Brisbane Lions, who are desperate for key-position players, hold the second pick.
"I think Jake probably had his heart set on going to St Kilda. That may be where he still wishes to go but Hawthorn is a good option," Dodoro told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
"I'm sure he'd prefer to go to Hawthorn than to go into the pre-season draft."
But Carlisle's manager Anthony McConville remained adamant a deal would be struck between the Bombers and Saints, despite Thursday's revelations.
"Given Jake's preference is to play at St Kilda, my focus is to work with the clubs to get him to his intended destination,” McConville said.
"I have full faith and confidence that all parties can work together to achieve a fair outcome for everyone."
Carlisle, 24, played his best footy in the first half of 2013, when he was one of the best defenders in the competition.
Since then he's been moved up forward and struggled for the most part, although he did have a two-week patch against Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs in 2014 when he kicked a combined 12 goals and took 31 marks.
Dodoro said the genesis of the Hawthorn trade was very recent and only came after the Saints weren't able to get the deal done quickly.
"Actually happened yesterday ... in discussions with Graham Wright. They expressed an interest in Jake and the deal's a very good deal," he said.
"We spoke to St Kilda yesterday and they made it perfectly clear they weren’t prepared to part with pick five, and that’s fair enough."
St Kilda chief operating officer Ameet Bains said he still expected to deal with the Bombers in good faith.
“The club will continue to work with Jake's management and the Essendon Football Club to secure an appropriate trade that will give effect to Jake's wishes," Bains said.
In a proposed deal also involving North Melbourne, Essendon would receive picks No. 15 (from the Roos) and 18 (from the Hawks), North would get Jed Anderson from Hawthorn and pick No. 41 (from the Bombers) and Hawthorn would acquire Carlisle.
Anderson has only played 10 games in his career but is seen by some as having the potential to become a very good player. He's a strong overhead mark despite his small stature and can burn opponents with his pace.
"We're now committed to (Hawthorn) if we can get this deal done," Dodoro said.
"(The Saints) haven't contacted us today so I don’t know what their position is right now."
"Right now, we're committed with Hawthorn. They've done the right thing, they’ve put it on the table. The Saints haven't put it on the table."
