It’s not often that a player of the calibre of Jack Macrae walks in the door at any AFL club.
In fact, you likely couldn’t find a better mentor and leader of the next generation than the three-time All-Australian, Gary Ayres medallist and premiership player.
Jack Steele, who has starred in the midfield and led the club for the past four seasons, can’t believe his luck in standing alongside the former Bulldog.
“He’s helped me learn a lot, he’s helped a lot of the younger mids here at St Kilda learn a lot.” Steele said on SEN Breakfast with Tim and Garry.
“He sees it so well and he’s so clean with his hands as well.”
“I’ve been very defensively-minded over my career so it’s been very refreshing to play along with someone like him.”
“He’s really taken a few of the younger boys under his wing with the way he goes about his craft.”
“He’s not a very loud person but he certainly has those relationships and has built those connections with the younger players already.”
Heading into his 13th season in the AFL, Macrae has cemented himself as one of the premier ball-winners in the history of the competition.
Averaging over 25 disposals a game in 10 of his 12 seasons, Macrae’s ability to find the football and distribute to those around him has been a brilliant setting for success both individually and for his team.
With incredible football IQ and skills to match, Macrae’s veteran experience and leadership is invaluable to a young team like the Saints, where growing stars such as Mattaes Phillipou, Hugo Garcia, Jack Carroll and Tobie Travaglia are able to learn essential midfield craft.
Macrae’s ferocious nature is also ready to be unleashed once again in the red, white and black, after averaging over 4.5 tackles a game throughout his entire career. Partnering with fellow tackling machine Steele, and opposition midfields will hate to see it coming.
“I’m going to love having him next to me in the midfield next year,” Steele said.
“I’m really looking forward to what we can achieve together.
“He’s certainly going to be fun to play with that’s for sure.”
Steele himself has been known as a massive accumulator of the footy since his arrival at St Kilda in 2017. Steele has averaged over 23 disposals a game in his career along with over seven tackles a game, cementing himself as a superstar midfielder in the competition that has seen him reel in two All-Australian selections and become a two-time Trevor Barker award winner.
After fighting through injury in previous seasons, Steele is ready to once again show his ball-winning best with a new-look midfield and a fellow All-Australian next to him.
Macrae is on track to play his 250th AFL game and his first in Saints colours in Round 1, as the team travels to Adelaide to take on the Crows to get their season started.
He will also hope to take the field in practice matches against Carlton and Port Adelaide in the coming weeks, with the latter taking place at RSEA Park as part of the AAMI Community Series on Saturday, 1 March.
