I rate jack but

[saintsRrising]

That was his worst game for a long long time.
Capped off by that shocking handball.

[gringo]

He missed a heap of the preseason and then was on crutches until a few weeks before he played seniors. He looks like his fitness base is so far off last year it's like he's a different player.
Last year his sustained running and one two hand passes while transitioning the ball really helped make us competitive. I actually think it will fast track guys like Dunstan having them not have the luxury of Jack doing all the work. Bring on next year with kicks to Peter Wright from Nate Wright.

[Buckets]

Didn't think he could play worse than what he did against Brisbane but proved me wrong tonight

[Con Gorozidis]

Off his tucker.
Foot injury put him behind the eight ball.
Struggling to get back up to speed.
It will come though.

[Solar]

positive is he is out there copping the heat with joey and lenny. Allows the kids of develop. Shame armo isn't back yet to take some heat.

[Bluthy]

He's hasn't got back to his A-grade level for sure. He's not using the ball that well yet which could be down to him using up all his tank getting around the ground and not having anything left. But what a great upside that will be when he's showing his absolute class again and running around the opposition like witches hats.

[Toy Saint]

We're missing Armitage, extra work load for Jack

[Trev from the Bush]

You can't have an injury like Jack has had and instantly hit B&F form. Sure, he has to learn how to handle the tag and only the very best can do it consistently (whereas Dal couldn't). He needs to play his way back into form, he can't find it on the training track.

[remboy]

Just mentioned on Talking Footy that Richo said Steven might need some time off as his foot was still troubling him.

[BigMart]

He is learning what it like to be NDS... To a lesser degree, Joey and Lenny...

Arm field smashed him

We often bagged the inability of Dal to break a tag... He struggled with it, especially because he's not a power athlete or a gut runner....

But most players do struggle to beat a player... Who's sole focus is stopping your run, your ability to win the footy and holding off the ball for 120 mins...
Curran has absolutely limited 5 out of 7 opponents this year... And he's a young tagger

Jack, wouldn't be my choice of a tag at StK.... But he will learn AFL footy is a lot tougher, when opponents are actually putting some time into you. He was allowed to run around unchecked last year, because opposition did not rate hi foot skills .... And tried to hurt him back the other way... Expose his defensive side. He is the least accountable mid we have.

One thing he has to stop doing is running around in circles with the footy?! Tonight, he could have run straight or simple hand balled inside... He turned the other way in to trouble and hand balled it straight into a defender and coughed up the ball... They scored an easy goal...
His running in circles (like CJ) would be a nightmare for fwds

[gringo]

We're missing Armitage, extra work load for Jack

We have been pretty ordinary the last couple of weeks and the mid field is where we are struggling most. Armo was that extra mid field bull that could get the opposition watching over their shoulder. He must have some serious infection.

[SainterK]

Was tagged.

He and joey.

Also Dempster was kept busy by Thomas.

[The OtherThommo]

Just mentioned on Talking Footy that Richo said Steven might need some time off as his foot was still troubling him.

What, another one? If so that's rubbish.

[ShanghaiSaint]

That was his worst game for a long long time.
Capped off by that shocking handball.

i noticed it.... but from what i have seen of him this year hope it's a one off. the whole team where off tonight bar a few.

[saint6709]

He has had bad season so far - looks like we need to look ahead ahead to 2015

[Saint wagga]

Richo definently talked about the possibility of resting him as he's struggled with fitness since being 'rushed' back into the side...I haven't read anywhere that his foot is still troubling him, just that he's found it tough to run out games due to a lack of ability ot train fully and recover between matches...Fingers crossed he's not carrying significant foot pain from being rushed back into the team...I would have thoght he'd play this week coming with the bye being good timing for a freshen up and training bloc, possibly missing one week after the bye also... prior to the back half of the season.

[perfectionist]

He's 24, in his 6th season and has played 78 games. He's had more excuses than a chronic truant. Despite all the boosterism over the years, he was only ever going to be a good average player at best. He is too small and too underskilled to be an A grade player and despite his self belief, he is not fast. In many respects he is like Leigh Montagna, who has similar deficiencies. Neither can change their height, nor (it seems) their ability to make sensible decisions, like Leigh marking 20 metres out on a slight angle and passing to Adam 30 metres out on a sharper angle. At least Leigh chased Chris Yarran the length of the field, but that also showed his lack of pace. Usually, they leave Yarran out against us.

As I have said many times before, sometimes using rhetoric to make the point, if Jack is to be our No 1 midfield player in the next ten years, then we can look forward to ten years on the bottom. The other Jack - Billings - even after just 5 games - has demonstrated more skill, the ability to mark overhead and better decision making. But he is 4 cms taller and you would expect better skills from a higher draft pick.

As soon as we lump unrealistic expectations on a player, like declaring him a certain future Brownlow winner or better than current Brownlow winners, he is almost certainly doomed to fail. If he turns out to be the fourth best mid in our team of the future (like Luke Ball at Collingwood) then that team will be up the top of the ladder and not at the bottom.

[dragit]

He's 24, in his 6th season and has played 78 games. He's had more excuses than a chronic truant. Despite all the boosterism over the years, he was only ever going to be a good average player at best. He is too small and too underskilled to be an A grade player and despite his self belief, he is not fast. In many respects he is like Leigh Montagna, who has similar deficiencies. Neither can change their height, nor (it seems) their ability to make sensible decisions, like Leigh marking 20 metres out on a slight angle and passing to Adam 30 metres out on a sharper angle. At least Leigh chased Chris Yarran the length of the field, but that also showed his lack of pace. Usually, they leave Yarran out against us.

As I have said many times before, sometimes using rhetoric to make the point, if Jack is to be our No 1 midfield player in the next ten years, then we can look forward to ten years on the bottom. The other Jack - Billings - even after just 5 games - has demonstrated more skill, the ability to mark overhead and better decision making. But he is 4 cms taller and you would expect better skills from a higher draft pick.

As soon as we lump unrealistic expectations on a player, like declaring him a certain future Brownlow winner or better than current Brownlow winners, he is almost certainly doomed to fail. If he turns out to be the fourth best mid in our team of the future (like Luke Ball at Collingwood) then that team will be up the top of the ladder and not at the bottom.

Wow, I can't believe you still run with this.
Check the All Australian squad last year & while you are at it have a look for "Leigh Montagna" in the 09/10 All Australian teams.
It's a good indicator of A-grade talent, recognised by non-StKilda footballing experts.

[SainterK]

Overstating a little there perfectionist.

Your post reads like someone who has waited eagerly for a for a form slump....

IMHO.

He is the reigning Trevor Barker medallist, nobody made that up.

Suffering the most in the absence of Hickey?

[BigMart]

Fair post

[dragit]

Fair post

Thank you.

[Saint wagga]

I agree that Steven will never be the most skilled player; but at his best his explosive acceleration breaks lines, he's got excellent goal smarts (is a proven goal kicking mid), he finds space in the forward 50, is a good extractor of the ball and is probabaly average by foot on his right and has at least a 50/50 left foot...No he's never going to be a silky player of the ilk of a NDS or a Goodard, he's a different type of player who if complemented by silky skilled players will continue to be a really good player for us....I think at the moment we (Saints fans, and probably fair enough after having a decade with once in a generation type players in Hayes, Reiwoldt, NDS and BJ) are looking to our young players and the next Reiwoldt or the next NDS or the next Lenny, which is hard for any young player. Steven is clearly nothing like any of our recent champions on a like for like way...he's his own player, dynamic, tough and inspirational by his footy deeds...I'm confiedent he'll have a successful career as a saint and he strikes as a very loyal bloke to. I can't see him leaving the saints really...

[BigMart]

Hard to break a line running backwards or in a circle

He MUST get out of that habit

Ball winning is of course very good.... He is an inconsistent kick, not the best decision maker....

[jonesy]

I'm not saying,just asking the question...but would the pelican consider at years end?

Has currency, lots...

[fingers]

Off his tucker.
Foot injury put him behind the eight ball.
Struggling to get back up to speed.
It will come though.

This.