Police piece together details of Jack Steven stabbing incident
Jack Steven remains unwilling to tell police how he suffered a stab wound to the chest, but investigators believe they have a clearer picture. The Cats have clarified the extent of his injuries.
Geelong
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Police investigating the stabbing of Geelong midfielder Jack Steven believe he was attacked by someone who knows him.
Investigators are believed to have come to the conclusion the incident did not involve self-harm or a random attack.
But with Steven unwilling to tell police exactly what happened, charges are unlikely.
Despite media reports on Monday night Geelong is adamant Steven had stitches to repair the stab wound but did not suffer a punctured lung.
The Cats clarified last night that the wound was to the left side of his torso, not the right side.
Steven was lucky the stabbing did not cause internal damage or injuries to his organs, with the Cats confident he will make a quick recovery.
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The AFL’s integrity team will speak to Steven, 30, about the circumstances of the stabbing.
Geelong said Steven was “very lucky” after surviving a wound to the right side of his body.
The AFL is concerned about the incident that led to Steven admitting himself to hospital at 1am on Sunday.
The Herald Sun understands the league’s focus will be on getting clarity about the lead-up to the stabbing.
Rather than a formal investigation, the AFL is keen to support Steven, who has fought serious mental-health battles in the past.
His parents visited the former St Kilda player at the Alfred Hospital on Monday. He is expected to be released this week.
As Geelong resumed training, head of football Simon Lloyd said it was too early to consider his return to the club.
“Obviously it’s being investigated by the police at the moment, so we’ve got to be very careful not to speculate and make assumptions,” he said. “The focus is on health and support for Jack.
“Our medical team have spoken to the trauma doctors at the Alfred and where he received the injury was under the right thoracic, so in his chest.”
Geelong believed Steven to be in excellent shape over the pre-season, and friends said he was brimming with positivity before the season shutdown.
“Jack’s very lucky as we speak,” Lloyd said.
“He’s recovering, he doesn’t require any further operation or exploratory surgery, so that’s a real positive in what is not great circumstances.
We’re not even thinking about (him returning to the club) at this point in time. We just really need to focus on his health and wellbeing.
“Jack comes from a very tight knit family, he has his mum and dad around him at the moment, he has his partner and his siblings as well.
“There’s a lot of love, care and support for him.”
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Originally published as Police piece together details of Jack Steven stabbing incident