A sleepy beachside cove on the Great Ocean Road would seem the unlikeliest of hometowns for one of St Kilda’s most decorated players.

But on Wednesday night, Lorne local Jack Steven won his fourth Trevor Barker Award, drawing level with fellow four-time winners dual-Brownlow Medallist Robert Harvey and legendary fullback Bill Cubbins.

Now, Nick Riewoldt is the only Saint to have won more Trevor Barker Awards than Steven, with a total of six.

It’s legendary company, but Steven shouldn’t feel out of place.

The workhorse they call ‘Stuv’ epitomises the Saints’ motto, Strength through Loyalty, and has consistently shown unrelenting effort for his footy club over a decade.

READ: Steven: 'I see such big upside'

Like Harvey before him, the 28-year-old finishes every single game utterly spent of energy and drenched in sweat, and his explosion from stoppage after stoppage echoes shades of the great No. 35.

In the same vein, Steven lets his football do the talking.

‘Banger’ was never the most vocal player on the field, but he was eternally among those with the biggest impact on the game, and the Saints’ No. 3 has been cut from the same cloth.


Jack Steven (C) with runner-up Seb Ross (L) and third-place Jack Steele (R)

His blue-collar, never-say-die approach is perfectly punctuated by flashes of brilliance and ingenuity, his lightning-quick feet and sudden bursts of acceleration a weapon concealed until it’s too late for opposition chasers.

Steven’s unorthodox running style was historically a point of derision among the red, white and black faithful, but his ability to motor away and leave a path of near-misses and exhausted opponents has endeared him to the mob.

Five-time Trevor Barker Award podium-finisher Leigh Montagna didn’t hold back in his praise for his old teammate on Wednesday night.

“It’s remarkable what he’s actually done,” Montagna told saints.com.au.

“And I think he’s still got a few more up his sleeve; he’s still pretty young.

“Even among active players in the competition, he’s only behind Scott Pendlebury and Gary Ablett Jr in terms of best-and-fairests, so it’s remarkable what he’s doing.”

WATCH: Steven wins fourth Trevor Barker Award

‘Joey’ laughed as he recalled a fresh-faced Steven walking through the doors at Moorabbin for the first time.

“He was just a schoolkid from Lorne, he was a bit of a ratbag, and he probably still always will be, but he’s just matured so much and become a strong leader of the football club,” he said.

“That’s always been his attitude – he was always pretty laidback – but he just loves competing and just chasing the ball around. He gives great effort, and that’s all you really want.”

WATCH: Backstage with Stuv

But it’s Steven’s tireless determination that gives Montagna the most pride.

“The thing we most admire is just his effort week-in, week-out, it never deviates, and he gives his all every game.

“Whether he’s in form, whether he’s injured, whether he’s sore, whether we’re winning or losing, he plays with the same intensity every single week.

“And he trains in exactly the same way. Every session he goes flat out – that’s the way he plays, so it’s no surprise that he keeps racking up best-and-fairests.”

Since its inception in 1914, 42 Saints have won the club’s highest individual honour, and now only one has won more than Jack Steven.