If St Kilda rookie Nick O’Kearney is to break into the senior side for a debut this season, it will be on the back of being bolder with his ball use, following some honest conversations with Saints Coach Alan Richardson.

After overcoming a broken arm early in his maiden season, the second-year midfielder-forward played 11 VFL games for Sandringham last year, where he found plenty of the ball on a wing and across half-forward.

O’Kearney, 19, says that along with improving his endurance and adding size to his wiry frame, he has focused on being more daring with his kicking this pre-season to make him a more damaging player on transition.

“I’ve focused on being a bit more bold (with my ball use this pre-season),” O’Kearney told saints.com.au on Wednesday.

“‘Richo’ has told me I’m good as a team man, getting to the right spots and doing what the team requires me to do, but from there I need to take the game on a bit more.

“I feel as though I’ve done that with my kicking, bringing the ball inside a bit more and being a bit more creative with ball in hand. It has been a key focus of mine over the pre-season.”

Having spent the bulk of his glittering underage career in the midfield, O’Kearney has trained with the forwards this pre-season alongside a group of young players who are all fighting for a couple of spots inside 50; Jack Lonie, Jack Sinclair, Nathan Wright, Darren Minchington and Jade Gresham.

“Last year when I first came to the club I was with the midfield group, now I’ve been moved into the forwards group on the back of what I did last year in the VFL. I’ve just got to take that to another level and keep on improving,” O’Kearney said.

“With the extra running ability that I’ve got into the legs this year I’ve been doing a bit on the wing so I’ve pretty much need to take what I did last year and keep improving.”

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