Whats with the interest in Steele?

[sainters85]

Just wondering why we seem to be heavily interested in Jack Steele from GWS? Is he like a speedy outside mid or something? All I've heard is that he's predominantly a half forward with a role similar to Mitch Duncan.. Question is, is he really that good?

[Con Gorozidis]

Just wondering why we seem to be heavily interested in Jack Steele from GWS? Is he like a speedy outside mid or something? All I've heard is that he's predominantly a half forward with a role similar to Mitch Duncan.. Question is, is he really that good?

He is good. And we wont be paying overs. Agree we still need some genuine speed but it is too early to write Nathan Freeman off.

[saint-stu]

If we want him as a small half forward, why not just play JB where he shines? He looked A grade when playing forward last year. These guys are a similar height.

[To the top]

In the NEAFL semi final Steele had a lazy 42 disposals (17 kicks, 25 handballs), 7 marks and 11 tackles and kicked 1.1 in a comfortable win over Sydney Uni (where Winmar had 13 disposals).

Mind you, it is NEAFL!

But that is where GWS's Seconds side plays so all things are relative.

He will be 21 in December, was Drafted 24 in 2014, is 187cm and 86kg described as a strong on-baller who can also play as a lead up forward with good balance and poise - so has size on Billings and Dunstan but is the same size as Ross.

So, there you go.

24 in the 2014 Draft and plying his trade at NEAFL level (successfully on those game day stats at least) could see him looking for opportunity else where and not costing too much at all.

If we can get him to St Kilda at the right price, why not?

It is up to the kid to make the move.

[saintbob]

PLAYER BIO
The first GIANT to be drafted from the GIANTS Academy in Canberra, Jack Steele is a strong onballer who can also play forward, he has excellent poise and balance and is an effective lead-up player. He won All-Australian honours as NSW/ACT's MVP in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. Finished equal seventh in the 3-km time trial in 10:11, recorded an equal-sixth best 15.1 in the beep test and scored 26/30 in the kicking test.

SEASON PREVIEW
2016

Coach Leon Cameron forced Steele to work for his senior debut even though he dominated the NEAFL int he first half of the season. The inside midfielder had to wait until round 12 for his first appearance and burst on to the scene with 10 tackles and 17 possessions against North Melbourne.

[Con Gorozidis]

He is a poor man's Acres. But that still makes him pretty bloody good

[damienc]

He is an inside mid which is what we desperately need. He has great skills and is a tackling machine. In other words he is hungry for contested ball. Our coach loves tacklers that's why he has such a high opinion of Minchington, another tackling machine. Steele is a great get and it sounds very much like we have got him.

[St Chris]

24 in the 2014 Draft.....

He was bid on with Pick 15, so other clubs rated him a first round pick.

[saynta]

He is an inside mid which is what we desperately need. He has great skills and is a tackling machine. In other words he is hungry for uncontested ball. Our coach loves tacklers that's why he has such a high opinion of Minchington, another tackling machine. Steele is a great get and it sounds very much like we have got him.

According to my source, he's a really tough, hard nut.

JACK STEELE (GWS)

The second-year GWS midfielder has shown glimpses at AFL level but always finds himself back in the NEAFL. After seven games in his debut season, Steele has managed 10 this year. The average 15 touches per game doesn’t shout superstar but the average five tackles a game does, and we know the Giants have plenty of ballwinners.

[Con Gorozidis]

Just some perspective. Of the 22 who played for GWS last week - only 1 Jacob Hopper - was younger than Jack Steele. The other 21 were older.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-09-06/i ... first-week


With a near non-existent injury list and a host of talent in form, Leon Cameron has plenty of options should he want or need to make changes to the side that beat North Melbourne a fortnight ago. Rhys Palmer kicked four goals, had 35 possessions, 13 tackles and 14 clearances in the club's NEAFL preliminary final win over Sydney University, while fellow midfielder Jack Steele racked up 41 touches, laid 11 tackles, and booted a goal. Defenders Adam Kennedy and Matt Buntine did their chances of a call-up no harm, with Matthew Kennedy, Sam Reid and Will Hoskin-Elliott all very good, leaving Cameron with some major headaches at the selection table. - Adam Curley

[Teflon]

Steel sounds like a nice fit but he's no outside speedy ball winning Agrader that we will eventually need to challenge think Cats and Dangerfield...

[saintsRrising]

Steel sounds like a nice fit but he's no outside speedy ball winning Agrader that we will eventually need to challenge think Cats and Dangerfield...

Yes Dangerfield is a dream. I would love him, but not much point thinking Dangerfield as the odds of us landing a player who is a "Top 5" player in the AFL is not good.

Dangerfield is at the Cats due to where Dangerfield wanted to live. Luck b*******

Prying Martin out of Richmond may be more achievable, but still very difficult.

[SaintPav]

Steel sounds like a nice fit but he's no outside speedy ball winning Agrader that we will eventually need to challenge think Cats and Dangerfield...

Yes Dangerfield is a dream. I would love him, but not much point thinking Dangerfield as the odds of us landing a player who is a "Top 5" player in the AFL is not good.

Dangerfield is at the Cats due to where Dangerfield wanted to live. Luck b*******

Prying Martin out of Richmond may be more achievable, but still very difficult.

We were seriously into Martin in 2013 but a certain ex coach pushed back on any deal going ahead.

[The_President]

Just suffered a major foot injury at training...

[magnifisaint]

He is a poor man's Acres. But that still makes him pretty bloody good

How do you make that assessment?

[shrodes]

Just suffered a major foot injury at training...

Unclear what it is at this stage, just likely to miss the rest of the year, which doesn't tell us much given how long is left in the season.

[Con Gorozidis]

He is a poor man's Acres. But that still makes him pretty bloody good

How do you make that assessment?

It was tongue in cheek. I was just sneaking my love for Acres in to thread

Although they are similar age. Similar size. Similar position. They have a bit in common.

[Griggsy]

as long as the club doesn't try to make this out as that "big fish" we were chasing I'm happy to have him.

[snoopygirl]

as long as the club doesn't try to make this out as that "big fish" we were chasing I'm happy to have him.

Pretty sure the "big fish" they were chasing failed a medical with us & North? this week.

[Bluthy]

I don't know either about our pursuit of Steele. Is he meant to play as a genuine onballer? I'm not sure how great his disposal is - seen some highlights and looks ok but people are talking him up as big body in and under. We already have Ross, Armo, Dunstan - and you could even throw Acres and Gresh in there as potentially good inside players. Maybe the club have big worries about Armo's body - he'll be 29 next year and seeemed really hindered this year by his body - something he seems to be battling every year. Maybe they see Steele as a backup/replacement to him.

A big gap I think we have is a real quality ball using midfielder like Dal who can hit up targets regularly, particularly inside 50. Gresh has shown some signs of that and has lowered his eyes a couple of times and nailed some passes to forwards.

But I see Steele fitting into Richo's pressure/tackling game plan well. Pelchen helped designed lists at Hawks and PA that were elite ball users. It worries me we are subtlety starting to veer off from that with players who are more designed around pressure and physicality.

What would we give up for him - a future second rounder seems about right. I think Steele went pick 24 or something but someone said other clubs bid pick 14 on him so you could see it as an upgrade of our pick. But also GWS have had a good look at him - if they thought he was all that they would have got him into the team somehow.

I still think we should be playing our chances in the draft where, yes you can have misses, but you can get also get really lucky and land a gem. That's why I preferred the slower-burn rebuild to get access to more high picks. We almost seem now to be going into a top up mode as we realise we need more genuine talent. Is Steele "genuine talent" or a GOP?

And now his foot injury. Thats not necessarily a show stopper but you'd want to understand exactly what it is. We play a lot on the hard Etihad surface after all.

[saintsRrising]

Good post Bluthy with lots of interesting discussion points.

I tend to think that our rebuild has gone very well. So well indeed that now to further improve that we now to start acquiring elite players and not just good or average ones to make any significant improvement.

Gresham excites for many reasons. One has been his ability to quickly handball not just to a StKilda jumper, but to a team-mate in a damaging position.

As long as Carlisle comes off our midfield seems to be our are of greatest need. In addition to this as a team we currently only have 2 players who are currently elite. To be Top 4 you need to be a lot more than 2. Hopefully some of our younger players will improve enough to become elite. Several show signs of doing this.

Quality is now IMO our greatest need. But from a list perspective I can also see that the club would like to see our midfield bat deeper, and that they may want a Plan B to Goddard to ensure that the bases are all covered.

Steele from reports could develop into a good mid, and maybe an elite one. He looks capable of making our midfield bat deeper and could be a more than handy goal kicking mid too.

From the discussion to date it would also appear that he will come at an attractive price (ie second rounder or thereabouts).

Would he be better than if we stuck with pick 10 (which may well end up pick 12-14)? Hopefully that will not be the question, but unless GWS takes our 2017 second rounder it may mean player being traded our. I doubt we would swap 10 directly for Steele. But it could involve say 10 for Steele and another, or Steele and a pick back.

I like Bluthy am happy that pick 10 gains us a player who may be a gun, but I am ok if it is by trade. However even if we stay in the draft pick 10 is historically only a chance of an elite player, and most likely not.

One thing I do no know is that we really need to our recruiting team to once again nail this draft and trading period.

[Bluthy]

Would he be better than if we stuck with pick 10 (which may well end up pick 12-14)? Hopefully that will not be the question, but unless GWS takes our 2017 second rounder it may mean player being traded our. I doubt we would swap 10 directly for Steele. But it could involve say 10 for Steele and another, or Steele and a pick back.

I like Bluthy am happy that pick 10 gains us a player who may be a gun, but I am ok if it is by trade. However even if we stay in the draft pick 10 is historically only a chance of an elite player, and most likely not.

One thing I do no know is that we really need to our recruiting team to once again nail this draft and trading period.

And what Steele doesn't come with risks? He's only a slightly more known quality having a couple of years in the system but that isn't that much different than a 18 y.o. in terms of how much info and footage recruiters can get with draftees now. We still don't know really what Steele is capable of. But we do know he's struggled to break into the GWS team albeit in a ridiculously talent laden squad. Obvs the recruiters think they see something in him but that is a big unknown and even they would admit that.

Yes the draft is a risk on any one pick but if you keep going into the draw eventually you will start to win - its a percentage game. For me one of our big advantages is that we could keep taking risks in the draft not needing to rise quickly. You can get these raw talents and give them the time to develop letting you get more high picks. But now I think we have to go for it - we can't finish 9th or 10th again - that is a dead zone that kills rebuilds.

We have to push forward now especially investing so much in Carlisle. He is our premiership clock that is ticking away. He's a huge guy I think 25 or so who's already had back, leg and hip problems and a year out from the game. I don't know if he is going to have the longest time in the game. We need to make the most of him.

[saintsRrising]

Yes i agree that all players/picks/trades have risk.

Steele may not even be a Saints if he has done a navicular bone (= nasty. Has ended some players careers as it can be hard to recover from for some).

It all gets down to how good our drafters are at assessing talent and doing deals....plus the luck of draft.

Last years trade of 5 looks to have worked out well as Gresham looks the goods. If Carlisle comes good it will ahve turned out to have beena great deal.

No doubt our recruiters will be assessing what players may be available at 10-ish vs what we can trade in with that pick and hence wheter to trade it or keep it. Though they may well trade in second rounders for Steele.

At present the Saints are IMO teetering on being good enough to become Top 4 again. If we can nail our picks and/or trades we may get there. If not we may instead be the new Richmond in being good enough to make the 8, but not good enough to do any damage in the finals.

I really like how our list that we has been rebuilt in such a short period. Our recruiters have dona fantastic job. However it now gets harder to improve as we need some genuine quality to make significant gains from now on.

[Wombat15]

Yeah if hes done the navicular bone and not treated properly that would seriously derail things. in basketball terms took KD 2 seasons to fully recover. Mind you if its not a bad break id still be trying to get this kid. Hes a bull in a china shop and would compliment the midfield nicely. Would still need to add some outside pace through draft or trade though.