David Swallow, tick. Clayton Oliver, tick. Ollie Wines, tick.
Callan Ward? Tick.
Emerging Saints midfielder Jack Steele took his game to another level again when he kept his ex-captain Callan Ward to just 20 possessions.
Known as “the backpack”, Steele’s close guarding of the Giants’ skipper heavily restricted his influence, with Ward’s output significantly lower than when the two sides last met.
READ: Man of Steele steals show
The ex-Giant has gone from strength to strength since first being thrown into a shut-down role in Round 13 against the Gold Coast Suns, the Saints’ first win since Round 1.
When senior coach Alan Richardson called for a defensive midfielder to play the selfless role that is sacrificing your own game to restrict the most dangerous opposition player, Steele didn’t hesitate, and it has paid dividends.
Not for the first time in recent weeks, Richardson singled out the defensive midfielder post-match for his efforts, but it wasn’t just Steele’s ability to restrict his direct opponent that had the coach glowing.
“We thought that Steele, against their captain Ward, did a really good job for us,” the coach said.
“Ward only had 11 possessions until three-quarter time, then we broke the tag to try and win the game, and ‘Steeley’ was able to get a bit of ball for us and certainly created some opportunities.
Alan Richardson said his key enforcer Jack Steele is "earning a lot of respect".
His proximity to the contest has allowed him to attack both his man and the football, and since stepping into his new role, he’s averaged 24.8 disposals, 7.2 tackles, 10.8 contested possessions and 4.3 clearances.
Richardson also highlighted the Canberran’s character, emphasising his impressive recent upward swing.
“That young man’s heading the right way really quickly,” Richardson said.
“He’s selfless, he’s playing for the team and he’s earning a lot of respect.”
WATCH: Dare Highlights (Steele)
Jack Steele’s aggression and physicality have captivated the red, white and black faithful, and the midfield bull will be looking to take more big names before the season’s out.
