St Kilda defender Jake Carlisle has departed the club's Queensland hub as heads to New South Walesย to support partner Mel for the birth of their child.
The news was announced on the Saints' website, with Carlisle making the decision after featuring in his side's dramatic three-point win over the Western Bulldogs in Saturday's elimination final.
โWe thank Jake for staying as long as he possibly could before heading to NSW to be with Mel for the birth," St Kilda CEO Simon Lethlean said.
โHe has been away from his young family for a number of months now and we thank him for making that sacrifice. We support him in this decision andย wish Jake, Mel, Nash and Layker all the best in the coming weeks.
โWe gathered the players on Sunday night to thank both Jake and Paddy who will return to Melbourne for assessment on his hamstring.โ
โBoth guys have had a big influence on our year and we wanted them to know how appreciative we are of their efforts.โ
