Jack Steele recruitment article HS 20/4

[theoracle]

AFL trade: Clubs who have won and lost battle in trade merry-go-round with GWS Giants
The Saints thought they had lost their man. Or at the very least, the price for Jack Steele was about to skyrocket. But in one training session, everything changed.
Jay Clark
April 20, 2023 - 6:00AM

Wayne Hughes jumped in the car feeling completely convinced about Jack Steele.
The highly-respected and long-time St Kilda recruiter had spent the bulk of 2016 watching Steele closely as part of the talented bunch of GWS midfielders stuck in the twos.
And when the hard-nut tore-up a NEAFL semi-final, gathering 41 disposals Hughes was certain Steele was the man to add some sharpness and quality to the Saints’ engine room.
But then only hours later, Hughes’ heart sank.
In the AFL semi-final that night, GWS forward Steve Johnson got reported for his high bump on Josh Kennedy in the win over Sydney Swans.
And Steele, who was being played on a half-forward flank back then in the reserves, was first in-line to take Johnson’s spot.
“That day I went from feeling super excited to really, really flat,” Hughes recalled.
“I said to (list boss) Tony Elshaugh ‘You can forget about Jack Steele now’.
“He was best-on in the NEAFL final because he was just so good, and I thought ‘Yep, he is the man for us’.
“But then that night when the Giants won and ‘Stevie J’ got reported, I thought ‘Oh no, it is all over’.
“If Jack is playing in a preliminary final, or a grand final, it’s hard to leave. Not many players leave your team in that situation.”
But on the training track on Tuesday night, football fate intervened.
Steele fractured a metatarsal in his left foot days out from the AFL preliminary final.
The big opportunity became a big heartbreak.
The tough nut was out. Rhys Palmer was in.
“And it was back on,” Hughes said.
That foot injury not only helped seal Steele’s passage to St Kilda at the end of 2016 for a future second-round draft pick, it landed the club its next captain, and arguably its best player since champion skipper Nick Riewoldt.
And of all the players to depart GWS Giants over the years, two clearly stand out above the rest.
There’s Geelong’s brilliant premiership spearhead Jeremy Cameron, the game’s No. 1 player, and then the wrecking ball at Moorabbin.
After those two, it’s tough to split a bunch of even midfielders in Taylor Adams (Collingwood), Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs) and Dylan Shiel (Essendon), while Tom Boyd won the Dogs a flag with his finals heroics in September, 2016.
Devon Smith won a best-and-fairest in his first year at Essendon, Josh Bruce has kicked 36-plus goals five times over his career at three clubs, and Will Hoskin-Elliott has been a supreme team man and crucial role player for the Magpies, slotting 160 goals from 186 matches.
Tim Taranto won the GWS best-and-fairest in a grand final campaign in 2019, aged only 21, and Jacob Hopper twice finished top-three in the Giants best and fairest, before joining Taranto at Punt Rd in the same deal last year.
But Hughes said Steele, 27, who will make his return from a broken collarbone against Carlton at a packed-out Marvel Stadium on Sunday, was special.
It was also an excellent find from the man who also unearthed Carlton and Adelaide great Eddie Betts in the 2004 pre-season draft and Ed Curnow deep in the 2008 rookie draft.
“What sets Jack apart is his decision-making. That’s what he does better than most,” Hughes said.
“He looks around at three options, sizes them all up, then bang, he has found the right one before you know it.
“Young players wanting to improve in this area should watch Jack Steele
“He’s been amazing for the club. He went from not getting a game (at GWS in 2016) to fifth in the Brownlow Medal (in 2021) and captain of the club only a few years later.”
Against the Western Bulldogs in Round 2, Steele played on with a broken collarbone, and had 29 disposals and a goal to help continue the Saints’ magnificent rebirth under Ross Lyon.
He’s always been tough, Steele. He was All-Australian for ACT/NSW in the under-18s and had racked up the most tackles by an AFL player over his first 100 AFL matches with 666.
But while it has been the best move of his footy career, Steele broke down in tears in his final season at GWS in 2016 when he basically begged the football club to keep him up north.
He was only 20.
Steele was dropped three times by Round 11 that year, and the writing was on the wall by the time Steele hurt his hand gathering 18 possessions and six tackles in the Round 17 win over Brisbane Lions.
To Steele’s credit, the kid from Canberra never wanted to leave. But the Giants had lots of good young players, and in particular, talented young midfielders.
And at the end of 2016 the GWS revolving door continued when nine Giants were booted out.
“I was gutted. I went into Leon’s office mid-week when things were coming to a close where I needed to make my decision and I remember just crying in front of Leon saying, ‘mate, I want to be here,” Steele told Dylan Buckley’s podcast.
“I knew there were others that were planning on leaving when their current deal was done, they were already talking about getting back to Melbourne and I just never understood why they wouldn’t want to sign someone that wants to be there.
“I was the only person that was from the area at the time, I had family in Sydney and no one else had family in Sydney.
“I just never really wrapped my head around why they wouldn’t want to keep someone that wants to be there
“In hindsight, it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
While he initially played as a tagger at times under former coach Alan Richardson, Steele was let loose under Brett Ratten, and thrived, winning All-Australian jumpers and best-and-fairest awards in 2020 and 2021.
He has finished top-three in the Saints’ best-and-fairest five years running, underlining his consistency in the clinches.
But Steele remains the only player to win two club champion awards at another club after moving on from GWS.
And what makes Steele’s acquisition even sweeter from a St Kilda perspective was the club picked him up for a bag of peanuts compared to some of the enormous prices paid for some of his former GWS teammates.
The Giants received pick 27 for Steele, and nabbed Brent Daniels, who has been handy despite some injuries as a goal kicking pressure forward.
But GWS extracted full value in exchange for some of their other prized picks, securing 13, 15 and 25 for Cameron, and two first-rounders for Treloar from Collingwood and Shiel from Essendon.
Collingwood won the deal for Adams in a swap for Heath Shaw, and Essendon got two second-rounders back when it handed over pick 11 for forward-midfielder Devon Smith.
Western Bulldogs’ decision to pass up pick six (Caleb Marchbank) and ex-captain Ryan Griffen for Tom Boyd helped win the Dogs a drought-breaking flag.
And Richmond would say the same when it gave up pick six and Brett Deledio in a package for Gold Coast’s Dion Prestia, Cat Josh Caddy and ex-Swan Toby Nankervis in 2016.
But other than Cameron and Steele, the only other traded GWS player to pull on an All-Australian blazer is Shiel.
Treloar has been in the squad of 40 three times, and Smith (2018) and Adams (2020) have both won best and fairests for excellent seasons.
But for all the discussion about the Giants’ high picks over the years, only two – Cameron and Boyd – have tasted the ultimate team success and won a premiership.
Steele wants to change that at a club which has won only won flag in its 150-year history. Under Lyon, the momentum has certainly shifted, significantly.
There is a clear brand, a defensive desire and a consistency in commitment, even though the list clearly still lacks top-end talent.
Its skipper, according to Hughes has always been “an unassuming sort of guy” but has grown into the captaincy role.
Regardless, Steele is all-in on the premiership mission, and there is never a question about his commitment or effort, having signed on until the end of 2027.
“I want to be part of the next premiership for this club,” Steele told the Herald Sun.
“And I’m going to do everything I can and I know my teammates are going to do everything they can.”

[Yorkeys]

Nice turn of events. We are blessed with that one. Great player.

Glad there is not a series on the duds we were lucky enough to recruit. Boy, there seemed to be a period there where we had very little idea about talent spotting/utilisation. Players or coaches. Or maybe it was mainly the coaches. Richo saw Jack as a tagger (I suppose he saw most players like that) and Byrnes "overlooked" by Ratts.

[bakes]

In fairness to Richo, tagging is a great way to learn from the greats and get more of the ball yourself. Windy is learning that right now but it doesn't make Lyon a dud.

And don't go too early with Byrnes as he may get overlooked by Lyon aswell

[Trev from the Bush]

So nice to read a positive article about a Saints player and the club's recruiting.

[B.M]

Second best trade I can think of

Dempster and Schneider for 26 would be the best

Gehrig for 18 would be up there

But Steele has been awesome
5 years in a row on the B&F podium
2xAA
3rd in Brownlow twice
Captain

For a second rounder - you’d be happy if he was a pick 1

[Banger9798]

Brad Crouch also a great pick up as a FA, and has a terrific hard nosed partnership going with Steele and Seb Ross.