St Kilda have made the decision to delist wingman Dan McKenzie this off-season, however, the injury-hampered Saint is still a chance to be part of Ross Lyon's plans for 2024.
McKenzie spent the majority of this year in rehabilitation due to ongoing calf issues, with the 27-year-old appearing in a pair of VFL matches for Sandringham and would not appear at AFL level.
The 2023 free agent made the venture to Europe following the season for further assessment of his soft-tissue issues, with the Saints confirming McKenzie's future was in the balance last month.
The Saints confirmed their latest list decision on Thursday that they have delisted McKenzie before potentially selecting the midfielder via the pre-season Supplemental Selection Period.
McKenzie will take part in Lyon's pre-season program over the summer and will be required to prove his fitness after a year-long injury battle.
โThis has obviously been a very complex time for Dan, but his professionalism and patience throughout this period speaks volumes,โ Executive General Manager of Football David Misson said in a club statement.
โDan has done everything throughout the year and in the off-season to get his body right, recently spending time in Munich to attain expert assistance.
โWe have been in constant dialogue with Dan regarding his playing future with the club and we are hopeful that he will be a part of our list moving forward.
โWhile injury has limited Dan's ability to influence on-field, his positivity and unshakeable work ethic has remained a strong part of his character. We hope to see both shine again this pre-season.โ
McKenzie might not be alone in pushing for a vacant list spot at Moorabbin however, with the Saints having recruited Liam Stocker, Anthony Caminiti, Jack Hayes and Jarrod Lienert through the SSP over the last two years alone and could again offer multiple training positions to AFL hopefuls.
The delisting of McKenzie may also pique the interest of other AFL clubs, with the Gold Coast Suns said to be one side that has shown some interest in the Blackburn junior.
St Kilda's list profile will take further shape in a fortnight after the National and Rookie Drafts, with several list spots up for grabs after a busy off-season of list changes.
Silvagni was able to secure the additions of Liam Henry and Paddy Dow from Fremantle and Carlton respectively during the trade period, while Nick Coffield, Jack Billings and Jade Gresham all found new homes at separate Victorian clubs.
The Saints delisted Jack Bytel, Leo Connolly, Oscar Adams, Jack Peris and Thomas Highmore following their 2023 campaign, and will carry Picks 13, 21, 40 and 92 into the National Draft.
