St Kilda Football Club feared sacked AFL coach Grant Thomas would turn key uncontracted players against the club in the wake of his 2006 dismissal, a court has heard.

Thomas believed he was asked to sign a $100,000 agreement because of fears he would speak disparagingly to players and destabilise the club, the Victorian County Court was told on Thursday.

"It was raised with me that they didn't want me having discussions with them (the players) to undermine their loyalty to the St Kilda Football Club," Thomas said.

"I thought I was getting $100,000 not to disparage the club in anyway. No media, no adverse discussions with players."

Eighteen Saints players were out of contract at the end of the 2006 season.

Thomas is suing St Kilda, claiming the club has not paid him the $100,000 from the agreement. He is also seeking to recover $90,000 annual leave he believes is owed to him.

He told the court he was in a crucial meeting planning for an elimination final when asked to sign a document forfeiting his leave entitlements.

Thomas was sacked just days after St Kilda lost the final.

But giving evidence on Thursday, Saints' chief executive Archie Fraser said Thomas was in his office when he handed him the document.

He said coaching staff did not hold private meetings in Thomas' office.

Mr Fraser said Thomas had months earlier indicated he would drop the annual leave claim if the Saints paid a $15,000 fine he was given for negative comments about umpires.

He added the dispute between Thomas and the board over the claim was one of the major issues the club faced when he took over in July 2006.

"I didn't think the club had a chance of winning the premiership with the dysfunctional relationship between the board and coach," Mr Fraser said.

Thomas' relationship with the umpires and their director Jeff Gieschen was Fraser's other big concern, the court was told.

"I asked Mr Gieschen on a scale of 1-16 where did we sit?" he added.

"He said: 'You're off the scale'."

Earlier, Thomas described his trepidation after a member of the St Kilda board of directors insisted that he leave an important post-season meeting to go to the house of then club president Rod Butterss.

"I knew with the relationship I had (with Butterss) it wasn't going to be a pat on the back or a Christmas card," Thomas said.

"It was on the back of that that I thought something significant was about to occur."

Thomas was sacked at the meeting.

Final submissions in the civil proceedings before Judge Katherine Bourke will handed down next Thursday.

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