Jack Sinclair’s second pre-season is starkly different to his first exposure to the summer slog. Expectations have risen, as has the workload which has significantly increased for the polished ball user. Not that he’s complaining, as it’s a welcome reality that is merely a by-product of exceeding expectations in year one.
Having arrived at Linen House Centre as a rookie, Sinclair rapidly emerged as one of the surprise packets from his entire draft class as he quickly cemented a spot in Alan Richardson’s side – only losing his spot on occasion due to the nuances of list protocols. Not that that will be a problem anymore.
12 months on, and on the back of playing 18 games in his first year and earning permanent promotion to the primary list, Sinclair’s focus has shifted from no longer just trying to grab a game, but to securing a regular berth for a second consecutive season.
“I’d just like to maintain my spot in the side and to improve as a player and for our team to keep on improving. We showed at times last year that we were pretty exciting so if we can keep building I guess I’ll be happy,” Sinclair told saints.com.au on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s (pre-season) pretty different I guess. There’s a lot more expected of me. Obviously as a first-year rookie there’s probably not a whole lot expected. So the expectations are higher, but not only for me but for the whole group as well because we want to keep on building as a side.”
Expectations aside, pre-season No. 2 has progressed in a seamless manner for Sinclair. The 21-year-old has built his aerobic tank under the hot summer glow in Seaford, watching his confidence grow as he has sewn session after session together.
“(I’ve done) a fair bit more than last year. I’ve barely missed a session, so that’s been pretty pleasing. My running’s improved a fair bit,” Sinclair said.
“But just naturally I guess getting a bit more of the footy – teammates start to look for you a bit more. I suppose I’ve gotten a bit more confident myself.”
Like the bulk of footballers in pre-season mode, running has been a pivotal focus point for Sinclair. But conditioning aside, the Oakleigh Chargers product has turned his attention to becoming more vocal as he looks to acquire more of the ball in 2016.
“(I’ve focused) a lot about my voice really. I’ve just tried to get more of the footy because I’ve been pretty good when I’ve got it. I just need to get more of that,” Sinclair said.
“I’ve just tried to improve my running and things like my defensive pressure, so I can play both as a small forward and as a midfielder.”
After cutting his teeth inside the forward line with small bursts in the midfield in his debut season, Sinclair is eyeing more time in the middle this year as he looks to build on his eye-catching debut season.
“I did all my training there last year as well, so hopefully as I improve my game I can spend a bit more time in the midfield. But I think I’ll probably be split there and up forward as well,” Sinclair said.
