Following the departures of several Fremantle players during the 2023 trade period, including Rory Lobb, Blake Acres and Griffin Logue, Dockers coach Justin Longmuir admits he could've done more to keep them at the club.
"Part of my role and maybe a part I didn't do as well as I could have last year, is to sell opportunity to some of those guys and give them a clear explanation of where they fit in our organisation and my vision for them going forward," Longmuir said.
"That's sometimes tricky to do as a senior coach, because … you don't want to make promises you can't keep. I'm always trying to tread that line, but maybe I could have trod that line a little bit better."
Blake Acres says those long conversations with Carlton coach Michael Voss had convinced him to return to Victoria, three years after he was essentially forced to head back to Western Australia as the sweetener in the deal that sent Bradley Hill to St Kilda.
This time around, Acres effectively had the decision made for him due to the Dockers' low-ball offer, heading to Carlton in exchange for a future third-round pick that could prove to be one of the bargain deals of the 2022 trade period.
"We only had a few phone calls. We spoke about my role and the opportunity with where Carlton is at and what they're hoping to achieve in the coming years," Acres told AFL.com.au.
"It was a tough decision at the time but also Vossy made it really streamlined for me and simple in what role I'll play. I only really met him day one of pre-season, I had a good conversation with him then. He has been great so far."
Blake Acres is traded to Carlton in exchange for a future third-round pick going to the Dockers.
"Blake brings valuable experience to our side, particularly in an area of the ground we think can help us take the next step," Carlton head of list management Nick Austin said.
"His ability to perform in the most high-pressure games this year was a real strength of his, and he adds to the demographic of players we are looking to build together as they approach the central phase of their careers."
Blake Acres wins the goal of the week for round 6 of 2022.
Thursday, 5 March 2020
Blake Acres will miss the opening rounds of the 2020 season after suffering a hamstring injury at training.
"After undergoing scans on Thursday, we can confirm a tendon injury to Blake's right hamstring. Fortunately, the injury is not of a high grade and surgery is unlikely to be required," Dockers football manager Peter Bell said.
Bradley Hill is finally a Saint, with the Dockers receiving picks 10 and 58 in the 2019 AFL National Draft, a future second-round selection and future fourth-round selection, as well as Blake Acres.
The Saints also receive a future third-round selection in return.
Acres became part of the trade negotiations on a whirlwind when the 24-year-old West Australian flew to Perth before passing a medical screening on trade Deadline Day.
St Kilda skipper Jarryn Geary says 2018 will be the year Blake Acres will step up his consistency as a midfielder.
"He's got some great tricks, he's a really good size, he's quick enough and he seems to get away with a lot of things that other players can't," Geary said.
"His next development is going to be his consistency.
"When he plays really well, he's really good for us, and his challenge is to bridge that gap between his best and worst performances."
Hitting the dangerous kicks and opening the game up has been a pre-season focus for young St Kilda midfielder Blake Acres as he looks to take the next step in his promising career in 2018.
"This season it's about being able to hit the harder kicks," Acres said.
"I've tried to keep it pretty simple, until I can actually hit those kicks, but I'm trying to add that to my game.
"If I train it here and earn the trust of the group, then I can go for them on game day."
Blake Acres says comparisons between himself and Lenny Hayes, while humbling, are a little farfetched.
"I don't think I'm anywhere near his level. I'm humbled to be compared with him but I'm nowhere near him," Acres said.
"He taught me a lot in my first year. I suppose I just try to play my own way but if people think it looks a bit like Lenny then that's their opinion."
Blake Acres is the round 6 2016 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after tallying 28 disposals, 7 marks and 2 goals in the Saints' 39-point win over Melbourne.
St Kilda coach Alan Richardson had laid down the law to the young Saint after he found himself out of the team, following the club's loss to Port Adelaide in round one, insisting he improve his consistency and ability to win one-on-one contests.
"It was frustrating getting dropped after just the one game but 'Richo' knows what he's doing," Acres said.
"He gave me some clear points to work on and I knuckled down, I did the work he told me I needed to do and it worked on the weekend for me."
Richardson praised Acres for his commitment in bolstering those specific parts of his game.
"More than any other player he's committed to making sure that he works on his game and works on his craft," Richardson said.
"He's been a really good example. It doesn't surprise me that he's ended up performing strongly. There's no secrets in footy. If you work hard, you end up getting rewards."
Blake Acres has made a long-term commitment to the Saints after just three games, signing a contract extension that will tie him to the club for the next four years.
"This is a big commitment, but the club has been great," Acres said.
"As I said before, it's just like home.
"We've signed up a lot of the young guys recently, so they are showing they're committed to us and we need to show we're committed to them."
Blake Acres makes his AFL debut for St Kilda at the MCG with 15 disposals (6 kicks and 9 handballs), a mark and 3 tackles in a 145-point loss to Hawthorn.