Things have changed for Jack Sinclair. Not only has he transformed from a small forward into a wingman this season, he has also put pen to paper, inking a two-year contract extension that ties him to St Kilda until the end of 2019.
After experiencing a frustrating second season, following an impressive debut season in 2015, Sinclair overcame a slow start to 2017. He forced his way back into Alan Richardson’s team in Round 6, where he has flourished on a wing ever since.
The 22-year-old has played the last 11 games in succession – the longest streak of his career – and averaged career-high numbers across the board – disposals (21.0), uncontested possessions (13.5), inside
“It’s obviously really exciting to re-sign with the club. I am loving my time this year
After living on the fringe in 2016, Sinclair started even closer to selection this year. He was named as a senior emergency a couple of times before earning his first opportunity down in Tasmania in May.
Since then, the former rookie who inherited Robert Harvey’s iconic No. 35 at the end of last year, has put his elite repeat efforts and his precise right foot to good use, becoming an important cog in St Kilda’s ball movement in the last few months.
“It was a tough, frustrating start to the year the first five weeks. I was pretty close and named as an emergency a couple of times. But since I’ve been back they’ve put my up on the wing and I’ve really enjoyed it there,” Sinclair said ahead of St Kilda’s trip to Sydney.
“It suits my pretty well in terms of the running and I can have a good balance between the inside contested footy and the outside stuff in terms of my run. I think my ball use has been pretty good; it’s something I pride myself on.”
After arriving as a midfielder, but only featuring as a small forward in his first two seasons, Sinclair spent the summer training with Aaron Hamill and the forwards, desperate to secure a permanent spot in St Kilda’s forward line this season.
But in the space of half a winter, the game has changed for Sinclair. He has barely played as a small forward. Not that the Scotch College product is complaining.
“It was hard because you go from playing as an inside midfielder and getting a fair bit of the ball at VFL level to coming in and playing a role as a small forward; it’s pretty hard to come in and play that role to a really good level,” he said.
“Doing my pre-season with the forwards made sense because I thought I’d predominantly play as a small forward this year. But I’ve been really lucky to be up on the wing and I think I’ve been able to add that position to my game.”
