American import Jason Holmes was one of the most intriguing stories of 2015 and has put himself in a strong position to raise the bar this season, according to St Kilda leader Jarryn Geary.

The 26-year-old ruckman played the final three games of last season, demonstrating his athletic prowess and ability to dictate traffic at stoppages through his tap work.

Despite starting from a long way back given he’d never touched a football until three years ago, Geary revealed that Holmes’ professionalism and desire to make the most of his opportunity down under has him well placed to take a step forward in 2016.

“One thing we know about 'Holmesy' is he gives himself every opportunity to be a really good AFL footballer. He doesn’t miss a beat,” Geary told Melbourne radio station SEN.

“He’s there trying to improve his craft and learning the game as much as possible. He’s very competitive which is a key component to be a ruckman.

“Obviously blokes who haven’t played the game from childhood are going to struggle with some parts of the game for longer than guys who have played for a long time.

“I think if he was playing in another position he might take a little longer, but because he’s playing as a ruckman he’s got all those attributes with his athleticism and ability to jump, he’s really been able to forge his way and play those games. I think he will continue to improve.”

On the back of that exposure to senior football, where Holmes averaged 25 hit outs per game, including a haul of 34 on debut, Geary said the 203cm ruckman had ridden that wave throughout the summer months at Linen House Centre.

“Over the pre-season he’s actually stood out in a few training sessions, which he probably hasn’t done before,” Geary said.

“He’s taking really good marks, his kicking’s become a lot more reliable, so I think  when he plays again, and I’m sure he will at some stage throughout the year, he will be pretty eye-catching like he was last year.

“But he will probably be more consistent throughout games and run out games and probably read the play better than he has in the last couple of years.”

St Kilda’s pre-season campaign rises a notch on Friday night when the club hosts its annual intra-club fixture at Trevor Barker Oval.