ST KILDA recruit Jack Steele is hopeful a strong return to form in the JLT Community Series will be enough to earn him round one selection, having bolted into contention following a broken foot.
Steele, who arrived from Greater Western Sydney at the end of last season, was kept from full training until late January because of a fractured metatarsal in his left foot that required surgery in September.
His progress since joining the Saints' main group has been rapid and the 21-year-old was the best midfielder on the ground in his team's 92-point win over Carlton last Saturday.
Steele said he had been surprised by the depth of talent at his new club and there would be no guarantees at the selection table before the Saints' season opener against Melbourne on March 25.
"It's definitely my goal to crack the midfield for round one," the big-bodied on-baller said.
"I haven't had a full pre-season – I've been injured for half of it, so it's understandable if they pick someone over me.
"But I'm still going to put my best foot forward in the last JLT game and hopefully play round one.
"I'm pretty confident they'll pick the best team (of players) who have performed in the pre-season so far."
Steele made the difficult decision to leave GWS last year, having built strong relationships at the club and knowing that "there is something good for them around the corner".
He said joining a club on the rise was a priority, and St Kilda's pre-season form in wins against Port Adelaide and Carlton was fuelling hope that finals were on the horizon in 2017.
"That was one of my main things, to come to a club that was on the way up," Steele said.
"The Saints were the perfect fit for me, so I'm glad we're going in the right direction and hopefully playing finals this year.
"We're looking to get momentum going into round one and get as much practice in.
"I think JLT four is going to be a dress rehearsal for round one and we're going to practice how we play as much as we can so we can get up for round one and have a good start to the season."
Sunday's final JLT Community Series match against Sydney will be a good test for a growing midfield that has added size with off-season recruits Steele and Koby Stevens.
Their biggest strength as a group, Steele said, was the versatility to rotate a large number of players through different roles.
"I think it's the diversity of it … we've got so many players who can play inside, wing and forward," he said.
"So we're always changing that up and having different players in there, so it's harder for the opposition to play on us.
"(Size) definitely helps, and most of the midfielders can run and have a really good motor.
"So having size and the ability to run is a really good thing to have."
