No longer is recruiting confined to Australia, nor is it strictly limited to prospects that have played the game previously. In fact, both of these restrictions have been removed for a while now, particularly geographical location, with the AFL scouring Ireland for over a few of decades, and more recently peering across the Tasman Sea.

The exploration of alternative talent avenues has led almost every club to look abroad and sift through other sports to bolster playing stocks in recent years. And even in places where you wouldn’t normally think to look.

Athletes who have pursued a sport other than our own, but who have previously excelled in football are in vogue at the moment, with Adelaide recently acquiring college basketballer Hugh Greenwood and first class cricketer Alex Keath.

After trialling with the Utah Jazz, Greenwood played for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL, but before then represented Tasmania at state level in football. Keath was also an underage football star, playing for Vic Country and being selected as one of the Gold Coast Suns’ underage access picks, before turning his back on that to pursue cricket.

Geelong’s success with former Olympic steeplechase aspirant and reigning best and fairest winner, Mark Blicavs, has drawn widespread praise from across the industry. But even he played football before making the switch. As did another category B rookie, Corey Adamson, who was part of MLB’s San Diego Padres program before returning to a familiar code with West Coast last August.

Hawthorn has spent time developing New Zealand talent, with Kurt Heatherley and Shem-Kalvin Tatupu. And a generous handful of clubs have explored gaelic footballers, with Carlton’s Zach Tuohy and Brisbane’s Pearce Hanley, the two premier Irishmen in the game at the moment.

At Linen House Centre, under the direction of recruiting and list manager, Tony Elshaug, the Saints have cast their gaze over a couple of different recruitment routes in recent years. American ruckman, Jason Holmes, was a roaring success late last season, and the club’s foray into New Zealand, just like Hawthorn’s, is yet to reap real rewards, but the seeds planted may bloom in the coming years.

Earlier in 2015, St Kilda signed another international rookie in the form of Christchurch basketballer, Barclay Miller. The teenager’s signature marked the fourth international rookie in the clubs history, with Miller becoming the third player on the Saints current list to be lured from foreign soil, following Holmes and another Kiwi, Joe Baker-Thomas.

For Elshaug, the utilisation of category B rookie’s, both from overseas and alternative sports, is to improve the list. It’s that simple. Recruiters are in the game to build winning teams, not to broaden the games reach.

So whist it is palpable to see the governing body salivating at the thought of another international recruit joining the code, building the games appeal abroad, for Elshaug and co, hunting the international scene and different sporting backgrounds is merely a way to improve a club’s talent pool.

“We want to improve our talent base. Fundamentally, you can have so many on your (senior) list. Here’s your (senior) list, here’s your rookie’s. Over and above that, how do we increase the amount of players we’ve got at the club? Well alternative athletes,” Elshaug told saints.com.au.

“You can see a lot of other clubs going down this pathway in recent years – look at [Mark] Blicavs at Geelong. A lot of the Irish boys have been successful. Jason Holmes has shown a lot.

“Fundamentally, we want to improve our list. So to do that, we’ll go to all the different combines around the world and find elite athletes, with good character and a strong desire to succeed. That’s it.

“We’re privileged to have John Beveridge in our team. With his experience and eye for talent we have been able to improve our list by looking at different avenues. And that has been enormously beneficial for our club.”

During the expansion club era, the introduction of category B rookie’s and the tinkering of rookie list limits has presented list managers with an opportunity to try and swing the rule in a club’s direction, according to Elshaug.

“Basically, you have to think outside the square. Everybody’s looking for an advantage,” he said.

“There’s only so many ways players can come through the door, but if you’ve got the resources, both financially and the man power, to help them become the players they can become, why not increase your base and have x amount on there, whatever that is.”