St Kilda defender Jake Carlisle has left the Saints’ hub in Noosa to be with his partner Mel for the birth of their third child.

Chief Operating Officer Simon Lethlean said the club was fully supportive of Carlisle’s decision.

“We thank Jake for staying as long as he possibly could before heading to NSW to be with Mel for the birth.”

“He has been away from his young family for a number of months now and we thank him for making that sacrifice. We support him in this decision and wish Jake, Mel, Nash and Layker all the best in the coming weeks.

“We gathered the players on Sunday night to thank both Jake and Paddy who will return to Melbourne for assessment on his hamstring.”

“Both guys have had a big influence on our year and we wanted them to know how appreciative we are of their efforts.”