Hunter Clark is reportedly set to remain at St Kilda for at least the remainder of his contract, per SEN's Sam Edmund.
Clark was rumoured to leave the club in favour of a fresh start at North Melbourne after the Saints labelled him as obtainable in this year's trade period. However, after weeks of speculation it seems the former top 10 draft pick will remain at the club in 2023.
โHunter Clark I think we can rule out as well," Edmund said on SEN Breakfast.
โHe was another one linked to North Melbourne.โ
North Melbourne were reportedly very keen on acquiring his services, and with Clark only having a year to run on his contract, it's possible that interest could be re-ignited come this time next year.
The small defender has struggled to play consistent footy over the last two seasons, with concussion injuries amongst others limiting his health and fitness throughout 2021 and 2022.
Clark only managed the eight games this year after suffering a shoulder injury in pre-season which kept him out for almost the entire first half of the year, and he was stuck trying to break back into the side through the VFL team.
The 23 year-old played mainly as a small defender when he did get on the field, averaging 15 disposals and 11 effective disposals a game.
Recruited as a midfielder, it's unlikely to see Clark return to a midfield role in 2023 with the likes of Steele, Crouch, Ross, Gresham and Windhager occupying the guts, and an inconsistent 2023 could result in Clark leaving Linton Street as a free agent.
He will also have some healthy competition for the small-defender role as well, with Sinclair and Hill already first pick on the team sheet, Ben Paton is also another name that could play a similar role to Hunter Clark.
Fellow top ten pick Nick Coffield will also return to the picture after a season off with an ACL injury.
The medium sized defender found himself lacking form and confidence in 2021 after a terrific 2020 season. He was dropped multiple times and even swung forward on a couple of occasions.
The now 22 year-old will once again be looking to solidify himself amongst St Kilda's defence in 2023.
