But there’s not much that’s typical about Jack Steele.
As a member of the PM Capital GIANTS Academy program since he was 13, Steele has already donned the GIANTS’ guernsey, albeit the UWS GIANTS’ version.
“I really enjoyed playing with the UWS GIANTS, it was really rewarding as a junior coming up through the Academy but it is a little bit strange now being part of the playing group,” he told GIANTS TV.
At 188cm and 85kg, he already looks ready to play AFL. It helps that he’s a full year older than many of his draft classmates.
A dislocated kneecap ended the 18-year-old’s draft dreams in 2013 and after graduating from Canberra’s Burgmann Anglican School, he spent this year as a Development Officer for AFL Canberra.
But that’s allowed him to focus on footy with his home club of Belconnen, the NSW/ACT state side and the UWS GIANTS.
As AFL.com.au’s draft expert Callum Twomey said: “Sometimes it takes a little longer for talent to come to the fore”.
And talent is something that Steele certainly has. As a member of the PM CAPITAL GIANTS Academy, the GIANTS were able to nominate Steele at the Academy Bidding meeting just before trade week.
Winning All-Australian honours as NSW/ACT's MVP in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, North Melbourne rated Steele highly enough to offer pick 15 for him, but he will officially become a GIANT with pick 24 at the NAB AFL Draft on November 27.
Softly spoken and humble, Steele has to be pushed to describe himself as a player.
“I play the high half-forward role and I like to go into the midfield every now and again ... People have said I play a little bit like Mitch Duncan. I like to kick goals,” he smiles.
But Twomey has more to say about the versatile youngster he nominated the 17th best player in the draft. “Steele's a natural footballer, with a bit of gusto,” he wrote.
“The tall midfielder demonstrated his talents as a mobile and marking on-baller who likes to float forward and kick goals. He's hard to tackle – he uses his bigger frame and hips to wiggle out of congestion and into space.”
Growing up in suburban Canberra, Steele was an avid sportsman playing cricket, soccer and basketball as a kid and even sharing the basketball court with a future International sporting star.
“I used to play with Nick Kyrgios when we were about 12 years old ... But he was short and fat back then,” he says with his trademark grin.
Steele was nine when he first started playing AFL but he first developed his love of the game a few years earlier. “It was probably just watching the Grand Final, 2002 Collingwood v Brisbane,” he says.
“I was a Collingwood supporter and it was just unreal. Grand Final Day, it was just something I really wanted to do in my life. I wasn’t at the Grand Final, I was sitting at home watching it with my Dad.
“He never played footy himself but his dad did, I think it was always in the blood. Dad wanted me to play it more than Rugby League which is what he played, so I’m glad that he made me play it.”
A polite and relaxed teenager, Steele is very close with his family - Mum Joanne, Dad Stuart and older sister Sophie. Like any teenager he’s still trying to find his feet out of home, living with Development Coach Nick Walsh and fellow Academy draftee Jeremy Finlayson.
“The move was pretty hard, moving away from my family and friends but I think I’m settled in now. I’m pretty close with my family and especially my friends so it was definitely one of the hardest things to do.”
While he was always going to have to leave home to pursue his AFL career, at least he’s just three hours up the Hume highway. And with the GIANTS playing four games in Canberra, the dream of making his AFL debut in front of his home crowd is a tangible one.
“I suppose I’d like to debut ... In front of a home crowd in Canberra would be pretty cool but I’m happy to play whatever next year as long as I’m enjoying my footy and having a good time.
“It makes it a little bit easier to move knowing I’ll be home every so often so I’m definitely happy with it.”
While he may not have had a typical draft journey, Steele is just like any fresh player when he contemplates his new life.
“It didn’t really hit me for a while, up until probably when I moved here is when I really felt it. It’s still pretty surreal I guess.
“I just sort of played footy with my mates just to have fun. But now that it is my career it’s unreal to think that I can make a living off it and really get something out of it.
“It’s my dream so now that I’m finally here, I’ve got the opportunity, I’ve just got to make the most of it.”
