Jack Steven (born 28 March 1990) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club and Geelong Cats in the Australian Football League (AFL). During his time at St Kilda, where he played 183 games, Steven won the club's best and fairest award four times. At the peak of his career, from 2015 through 2018, Steven polled double-figure votes in the Brownlow Medal in each season, highlighting his consistency and value to the Saints' midfield.

Jack Steven
Steven playing for St Kilda in April 2019
Personal information
Full name Jack Steven
Date of birth (1990-03-28) 28 March 1990 (age 34)
Original team(s) Geelong Falcons (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 42, 2007 national draft
Debut Round 19, 2009, St Kilda vs. Hawthorn, at Aurora Stadium
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 84 kg (185 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2009–2019 St Kilda 183 (112)
2020 Geelong 9 (1)
Total 192 (113)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

AFL career

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Steven at training prior to the 2009 AFL Grand Final

Originally from the Lorne Football Club, he attended Northfield Grammar. Steven was recruited from the Geelong Falcons with pick 42 in the 2007 AFL Draft.[1] Steven kicked the final goal of the 2008 NAB Cup quarter final – a competition which St Kilda went on to win, although Steven did not play in the final.[2]

Steven made his AFL debut in Round 19 of the 2009 AFL season in the Saints' upset win over Hawthorn at York Park in Launceston, Tasmania when the then undefeated Saints were without seven of their best player due to injuries.[3][4] It was his only AFL game for the year, but he played eight more in 2010.

In January 2011, Steven, along with three teammates, was suspended for six weeks and fined after breaking team rules involving alcohol, prescription medicine and leaving the team hotel while on a team camp in New Zealand.[5] In Round 10, 2011, Steven was nominated for the 2011 AFL Rising Star.[6]

During 2013 Steven established himself as one of the AFL's most elite emerging young midfielders. His explosive pace and ferociousness at the contest culminated in a career best season in which he won the 2013 Trevor Barker Award for St Kilda's best and fairest player.[7]

In March 2015, Steven signed a new contract with the Saints, committing to the club until the end of the 2020 season. Steven played in all 22 games for St Kilda in 2015, averaging 27 disposals and kicking 9 goals. He was awarded his second Trevor Barker medal, finishing with 175 votes.

Steven was inducted into St Kilda's leadership group prior to the 2016 AFL season. He won his second successive Trevor Barker Award and third overall.[8]

In February 2019, Steven took an indefinite leave from football to deal with mental health problems.[9] and returned to the club the following month.[10] He featured in four of the club's first six games of the season, but left the club again in May to continue to take care of his mental health,[11] before returning the following month.[12]

At the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season, Steven requested a trade to Geelong. The trade was completed on 16 October, the last day of the trade period.[13] Without having played a game for Geelong, Steven made headlines in May 2020 after suffering what was reported as a "non-life threatening" stabwound to the chest.[14]

Steven announced his retirement in November 2020, despite having one season remaining on his contract.[15]

Statistics

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Statistics are correct to the end of the 2020 season[16]
Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals 
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds 
  H  
Handballs 
  M  
Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2008 St Kilda 34 0 0
2009 St Kilda 34 1 1 0 10 4 14 5 4 1.0 0.0 10.0 4.0 14.0 5.0 4.0 0
2010 St Kilda 3 8 10 2 50 40 90 21 31 1.3 0.3 6.3 5.0 11.3 2.6 3.9 0
2011 St Kilda 3 21 13 10 228 183 411 78 84 0.6 0.5 10.9 8.7 19.6 3.7 4.0 3
2012 St Kilda 3 21 17 9 250 175 425 78 84 0.8 0.4 11.9 8.3 20.2 3.7 4.0 1
2013 St Kilda 3 22 16 8 312 279 591 83 87 0.7 0.4 14.2 12.7 26.9 3.8 4.0 8
2014 St Kilda 3 17 8 10 206 187 393 44 79 0.5 0.6 12.1 11.0 23.1 2.6 4.6 1
2015 St Kilda 3 22 9 15 343 248 591 98 151 0.4 0.7 15.6 11.3 26.9 4.5 6.9 12
2016 St Kilda 3 22 14 6 310 305 615 62 123 0.6 0.3 14.1 13.9 28.0 2.8 5.6 16
2017 St Kilda 3 20 6 15 259 267 526 55 93 0.3 0.8 13.0 13.4 26.3 2.8 4.7 11
2018 St Kilda 3 22 13 7 305 288 593 88 78 0.6 0.3 13.9 13.1 27.0 4.0 3.5 18
2019 St Kilda 3 7 5 4 78 55 84 8 17 0.3 0.8 13.0 8.0 19.0 2.0 4.3 3
2020[a] Geelong 9 9 1 2 84 64 148 33 35 0.1 0.2 9.3 7.1 16.4 3.7 3.9 0
Career 192 113 88 2435 2095 4530 664 872 0.6 0.5 12.7 10.9 23.6 3.5 4.5 73

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

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Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Jack Steven Player Profile Bio". Australian Football League. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  2. ^ Saints jigsaw almost solved
  3. ^ The Saints make huge changes
  4. ^ Unheralded Saints leave Hawks flat
  5. ^ St Kilda suspends four after New Zealand camp
  6. ^ Holmesby, Luke (31 May 2011). "Saint Steven". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Brisbane Lions' Joel Patfull, St Kilda's Jack Steven, Adelaide Crow's Rory Sloane clubs' best and fairest". 7 September 2013.
  8. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (1 September 2016). "Jack Steven claims his third Trevor Barker Award". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  9. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (26 February 2019). "Star Saints mid takes mental health leave from club". afl.com.au. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  10. ^ Cleary, Mitch (10 March 2019). "Star Saint returns to club after taking personal leave". afl.com.au. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  11. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (2 May 2019). "Star Saint takes extended break due to mental health". afl.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  12. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (11 June 2019). "Star Saint returns to club after mental health break". afl.com.au. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  13. ^ @AFL_House (16 October 2019). "Trade paperwork lodged: Geelong Cats..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Clure, Elias. "Geelong footballer Jack Steven recovering in hospital after suffering chest wound". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  15. ^ King, Tom (19 November 2020). "Steven calls time". K rock Football. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Jack Steven". AFL Tables. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
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