St Kilda star midfielder Jack Steven has won his third Trevor Barker Award on Thursday night, entering rare territory at the football club as only the tenth player to win the most prestigious individual prize on three occasions.
The 26-year-old started strongly in the count and surged away through the middle part of the season before slowing late in the year, but by then he had done enough to hold off small defender, Jarryn Geary and Captain, Nick Riewoldt.
After winning last year’s best and fairest, and the 2013 edition, the boy from Lorne on Victoria’s Surf Coast, joins illustrious company at St Kilda Football Club, alongside recent triple winners, Lenny Hayes and Nathan Burke, as well as Team of the Century Captain, Darrel Baldock.
Steven, who was also included in the All Australian squad, played all 22 games in 2016, averaging career-highs and St Kilda season-highs for disposals (28.0), contested possessions (11.3) and clearances (5.5), as well as 5.3 inside 50s (No. 1 at St Kilda), 5.6 tackles (No. 2) and 52.2 pressure points (No. 1).
Where he polled:
Round 1 v Port Adelaide (13 votes) – 36 possessions (17 contested), 8 inside 50s, 7 clearances
Round 9 v Essendon (15 votes) – 40 possessions (16 contested), 10 clearances, 9 inside 50s
Round 12 v Carlton (15 votes) – 25 possessions, 10 inside 50s, 9 tackles, 8 score assists, 3 goals
Round 16 v Essendon (16 votes) – 41 possessions (22 contested), 12 clearances, 12 tackles, 9 inside 50s
Round 18 v Western Bulldogs (14 votes) – 39 possessions (14 contested), 7 tackles, 6 clearances
