HE MIGHT have brought a dodgy ankle into the game, but St Kilda midfielder Jack Steven put in a "pretty special performance" to help the Saints overcome a brave Brisbane outfit, coach Alan Richardson says.
The Lions pressed hard in the third term and with momentum on their side, pushed to an eight-point lead.
Steven, who was impressive all match, kicked two important goals in the last 90 seconds of that quarter to give his side a 10-point lead going into the final break.
The raw speed he showed to leave Lion Luke Hodge in the dust and slot it through for his first demonstrated his left ankle was fine, despite seemingly having been in big trouble after hurting it in a seemingly serious incident just over a fortnight ago.
"Given that he came in with a bit of cloud, given his prep and the injury against the Demons, that was a pretty special performance we felt, given that he was under a bit of heat," Richardson said after the 25-point win.
Steven moved well at training on Tuesday but left the track early, although the club was confident the onballer would be fit to face Brisbane.
WATCH: Alan Richardson's full post-match media conference
"He's a really determined pro from that perspective. He does everything right. He gets down into the beach, makes sure he does all of his recovery work. He's at the club more often than not, particularly when he's got a niggle, to make sure he gives himself the best opportunity to be right, so it certainly didn't surprise us," Richardson said.
"We needed to see him train positively on Thursday and he trained really well, so from that point on, it was pretty clear he was going to play."
Steven finished with 34 disposals and 10 score involvements.
Five talking points: St Kilda v Brisbane
It was a scrappy game at times under the roof at Etihad Stadium and while the St Kilda coach was largely satisfied with how his side moved the ball, Richardson was disappointed with its work on the inside.
Despite having the likes of Steven, Seb Ross, Blake Acres, David Armitage and Jack Steele, Brisbane dominated clearances (44-27) and won contested possessions (139-133).
"I'd certainly give the opposition some credit. They were pretty good in there, particularly at centre bounces," Richardson said.
"That was something that we didn't quite get right.
"It has been a bit of a strength of ours and we'll need to be at our best next week. That's a real strength of the Kangaroos. That's a big game for our footy club. Friday night, it's going to be a big game and we need to be strong in that space."
North Melbourne will host the Saints in the Good Friday clash at Etihad Stadium next week.
