There may have been four club debutants for St Kilda on Sunday afternoon against Fremantle, but in many ways for the returning Jack Bytel, it felt like there were five. 

It had been over a year since the 23-year-old last pulled on the tricolours at senior level (also against Fremantle in the final round of 2021), before his swift reintroduction to the line-up this week as St Kilda opened its 2023 campaign with a 15-point win over Fremantle.

Only a fortnight ago, Bytel’s odds of a recall were on the lesser end given how long he’d been out of the side.

But thrown into the fire during the practice match against Essendon and taking up tagging duties on Darcy Parish after Marcus Windhager broke his hand in the opening minutes, the developing on-baller found his way back in.

Bytel didn’t have much time to think about jumping into the role – and that game as a whole having started on the extended bench – but by his own admission, it ended up being for the best in helping wedge the door ajar for a Round 1 berth.

His run-with task on Andrew Brayshaw on Sunday had Bytel line up at 12 out of 21 centre bounces – including all five of the last quarter – to eventually finish with 16 disposals, a goal and seven tackles; his best of which on Will Brodie halted a Dockers surge forward at a pivotal point of the game.

While the Fremantle gun still had his hands on the pill, being back in the fray wasn’t lost on Bytel, whose persistence was at last rewarded.

“When the opportunities come, you’ve got to take them and I felt like I have. It was awesome to be back,” Bytel told saints.com.au post-game.

“Obviously it was a challenging year for me last year, but I definitely learned a lot about myself and built a bit of resilience.

“There are times you can get into a rabbit-hole and drive yourself crazy if you let it get to you, but I had good people around me internally and externally to keep me centred.

“There were a few butterflies tonight, not so much nerves, but once the ball is bounced it’s just all footy for me.”

An eight-week foot injury and drop-off in form pushed the young midfielder down the pecking order last year, with the unexpected surges of Marcus Windhager and Mitch Owens keeping him out of the midfield niche he’d started to carve out in 2021.

His VFL numbers stacked up (an average 25 disposals and six tackles per game), and when he was on the park, was consistently the Zebras’ leading mid alongside Ryan Byrnes. But there was always someone else ahead of him.

Bytel has been no stranger to extended stints on the sidelines. Back surgery in his draft year to correct a slipped disc and stress fractures parked him for months before he finally earned his shot midway through the following season in Queensland.

A one-year contract extension at the end of last season shaped as the perfect prelude for him to reclaim his spot in the Saints’ engine room; a story which has begun on an ideal note with some help from assistant coach, Lenny Hayes.

“You start to learn if you can’t get back out there, how can you get better? I guess I went with the approach that football’s not everything and you take the good with the bad,” Bytel said.

“Lenny’s been awesome for me with me how honest he’s been and in giving you confidence on gameday. He’s massive on the prep during the week, so if you get that right, there should be no stresses when you get out there on gameday.

Bytel has put up the framework for his on-field, but has spent just as much time off the field building them – literally – as an apprentice carpenter.

Along with several of his teammates, Bytel attends trade school one day a week as he adds more skills to his toolkit in preparation for a life after footy.

With multiple on-site hours required – and with a contract yet to be signed at the time – the No. 23 picked up the tools during the first couple of months of the off-season, working several days a week along the bayside area.

It was the mental rejuvenation he needed before diving back into the footy bubble for 2023.

“That was actually a massive thing for me, even for the mental side of everything and giving me a bit of perspective and a bit of a refresh,” Bytel said.

“We’re so lucky to do what we do. I do love my footy, but I also love getting on the tools.”

“I have so much respect for the boys at VFL who do a whole day at work and then come train and play. It’s a tough gig, so it does give you that gratitude.”