Out of the senior side, out of contract, and seemingly out of luck.

It was July of 2018, and for young Saint Jack Lonie, what had once beckoned as a promising AFL career looked to be unceremoniously playing out its final chapter in the VFL.

The then-21-year-old had just played out a forgettable draw against Coburg, while his St Kilda teammates were no match for Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.

LIVEWIRE LONIE 'BUILDING': Jack fires with career-best 4.0

For years, Lonie had dreamt of forging a career as an AFL footballer, but now his future in the red, white and black he’d grown up barracking for looked in doubt.

Having already been dropped twice throughout 2018, Lonie’s lifeline came in the form of a senior call-up in Round 17 to face the Blues under Friday night lights.

His impact on the stats sheet – like many pure small forwards – is rarely sizeable, but Lonie’s ability to cause headaches for opposition backmen is almost unparalleled.

And it was no different on that fateful Friday night.

The speedy livewire hunted the Blues like a man possessed, piling on nine tackles and a goal that couldn’t be ignored.

Soreness forced him to miss a week later, but he was back with a vengeance against the Giants in Round 19.

ON THIS DAY: Jack Attack as Lonie and Sinclair debut

Three consecutive bags of two goals reaffirmed his talents, before a four-goal haul against Hawthorn showed the footy world what he was capable of.

Lonie signed on to his beloved boyhood club last October to the tune of two years, and the dynamic goalkicker is already repaying the faith.

A match-defining tackle on Essendon big man Michael Hurley was the impetus for the Saints’ Round 2 win and emblematic of the No. 13’s incredible resurrection.

And it was the little man’s elite pressure that again proved critical in Round 4, first pinning Hawthorn’s David Mirra to earn a free kick before nailing the clutch set shot to pinch back the lead.

LITTLE MASTER LONIE: All the talking points from Round 4

In a near best-on-ground showing, the left-footer peppered the goals all afternoon, posting a tally of 3.5.

Inaccuracy aside, Lonie’s football nous and goal sense were clearly on display, coach Alan Richardson later admitting “he could’ve had an amazing day”.

A dramatic reverse in fortunes has seen the goal-sneak become an important and permanent cog in St Kilda’s forward line.

At one stage, it looked as if Jack Lonie’s AFL career was in its final chapter.

But if his early form in 2019 is anything to go by, the prognosis is clear.

His story is just beginning.