GWS Giants key defender Leek Aleer could find a permanent home in Greater Western Sydney despite struggling for playing time in Adam Kingsley's loaded backline.
The 23-year-old tall has battled to maintain his spot alongside talented backs Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley this season, but it sounds as though Giants CEO David Matthews plans on retaining the services of the former second overall pick for the foreseeable future.
“Yeah, I absolutely would,” Matthews told SEN when asked whether he’d like to see Aleer remain with the club.
“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.”
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Now in his fourth year, Aleer has reportedly drawn trade interest from other clubs, including St Kilda, due to his demeaning stature and aerial leaping ability.
Standing 194cm tall, Aleer’s overall numbers don’t pop out on paper, however he’s yet to showcase his true talent having played in only 15 games with the Giants since debuting in 2022.
Leek Aleer left the field following this incident involving Kane Farrell.#AFLGiantsPower pic.twitter.com/Zo7nxnM5Jh
— AFL (@AFL) June 7, 2025
GWS hasn’t shied away from positioning Aleer on some of the competition’s elite forward talent, placing him on Charlie Curnow during periods of their Round 11 clash against Carlton.
"After quarter-time, I thought he was really good. He had a mix of tall and small (opponents), some really critical spoils,” Kingsley said after the win. “He was head and shoulders above everyone else and punching the ball out of the danger zone.”
Despite limited playing time, Aleer stands to fetch big money on the open market as he continues to develop. Having done the hard yards in the VFL this season, he could also prove a crucial piece to the Giants’ success this season as they continue to teeter on the fringe of the eight.