Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Why the Giants see a future for St Kilda target Aleer
Andrew Slevison • June 13th, 2025 4:30 pm
The GWS Giants see a future with Leek Aleer in it.
The 23-year old, who is out of contract this year, is on St Kilda’s radar and likely to be the subject of a big-money offer from the Saints.
Aleer has been battling to force his way into the best Giants side, often sitting behind Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley in the key defensive pecking order, although he has played the past three games alongside that pair.
Some believe Aleer could be on the way out at season’s end with the Saints as the front-runners, but Giants CEO Dave Matthews says the club is doing what they can to retain his services.
Would Matthews like to think there’s a future for Aleer at the Giants?
“Yeah, I absolutely would,” he responded on SEN Mornings.
“A wonderful young man, great athlete, and a real role model for the communities we’re trying to get to in western Sydney to be able to tell stories about Leek Aleer, Joey Delana and Stephen Coniglio of the diversity out there.
“You’ve got to be able to see a reflection of yourself in the game and certainly that’s what Leek provides in addition to just being a great athlete with a lot of promise.
“We know big offers will come. We’ve had some players in recent times really stay because of the culture and the opportunity at the Giants.
“We’re certainly working closely with his management to try to secure him long term.”
Aleer was drafted in 2021 and has since played 15 games for the Giants.
The GWS future of one of his teammates is also in the air.
Former club captain and veteran midfielder Callan Ward ruptured his ACL against Richmond in Round 12 and there are fears that he may have played his last game in orange and charcoal.
Matthews caught up with Ward for lunch in Melbourne during the week and says the club’s games record holder is yet to make a final call on his future.
“He’s in a really good frame of mind, he’s an unbelievable human being, one of the very best,” Matthews said of Ward.
“He’s very pragmatic. He just sits with that disappointment of what it means for the remainder of the year. He’s yet to make any final call on what he wants to do next.
“He wants to have the surgery next week and then he’ll spend some time with Adam Kingsley and look forward.”
Is there a world where Ward plays on in 2025?
“I think the door is probably ajar, but it’s really got to be a conversation between he and Adam,” he replied.
“Whether he wants to go through that rehab. Because of the timing of the injury it puts him a fair way into next season if he did play on.
“All those things are considerations. The overriding consideration is his family. Ruby and the kids moved back to Melbourne this year and they could get into an arrangement where he was playing, in his own mind, his last season. He and the family has had that view for some time.
“But it’s not fully determined, that will happen in the coming weeks.”
Ward, who has played 267 games for the Giants (327 overall), will undergo surgery next Tuesday.
He is without a contract for 2026.
