New St Kilda recruit Jack Steele made a sound return from post-season foot surgery in Thursday night’s intra-club hit out at Trevor Barker Oval.
After playing 17 games across his first two seasons at Greater Western Sydney, the midfielder began his time at Linen House Centre on the back foot but has gradually integrated into full training in the last month.
Steele, 21, is pleased with how his foot has responded to increases in his training load over the pre-season and how it pulled up from the internal practice match. Now he wants to keep building his endurance base ahead of Round 1.
“I started slow with my foot injury but in the last month I’ve started to do a lot more training and a lot more match play, so I wasn’t too nervous coming out here, it wasn’t my first hit out, my foot up held up really well,” Steele told saints.com.au following the intra-club.
“I did a lot of fitness work in rehab and I think I’m up to scratch now, but I want to get better at being fit and being able to run out games a bit more, especially at the elite level of AFL you need to be able to run out games these days so it will definitely be a focus of mine from here on.”
The arrival of Steele and Western Bulldogs onballer Koby Stevens has elevated the depth and class in St Kilda’s engine room and the competition for spots in Alan Richardson's 22 is beneficial for everyone, according to the Canberra product.
“That’s how it works. If someone is playing better the other person wants to beat them; it just works like that. If people keep playing better because of that competition then we will keep getting better (as a team),” Steele said.
After growing up in the nation’s capital before shifting to the harbour city to play with the Giants, Steele says he has loved the transition to Melbourne, where he has moved in with key defender Hugh Goddard and ruckman Lewis Pierce.
“I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I’m living with Hughie Goddard and Lewy Pierce, who are good mates of mine. They’ve showed me the ropes I guess of Melbourne so far; it’s a lot different to Sydney but I’m loving it,” he said.
St Kilda will step up their preparations ahead of the home and away season when they face Port Adelaide in the JLT Community Series next Thursday night at Etihad Stadium.
