X-ray image reveals Saints skipper’s insane act of courage

An AFL star has left jaws on the floor after an X-ray revealed the damning extent of an injury he carried throughout a game.

X-Ray scans of Jack Steele's broken collarbone. Picture: Mitch Cleary, Twitter

St Kilda skipper Jack Steele has blown minds around the footy world after the extent of his broken collarbone was made clear in new images.

The X-ray of Steele’s snapped collarbone, clearly show the lower portion of the bone dislodged entirely and pushed underneath the shoulder.

It is the same shoulder that Steele had surgery on last year for an AC joint injury, causing him to miss 5 weeks in 2022, and the metal pins from that surgery are visible in the X-ray.

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With that recovery post-surgery already particularly fast, Steele’s toughness and desire against the Bulldogs blew fans’ minds, with the midfielder playing out the final quarter despite the injury, and the limited range of movement in his arm.

One social media user said “why are we celebrating him playing with an injury like this?”

“Where is the duty of care?

“Why do we want the next generation to think that to be “tough” they have to do stupid things that could affect their bodies for the rest of their lives?”

Another said the image “tells us what some players will do to help their team, including playing when concussed.

“Should clubs to do more protect players from themselves?”

Steele caught up in a tackle. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Another questioned the decision to send Steele back out in the context of the ongoing football reckoning on concussion.

“Surely a poor look for a code that is looking down the barrel of long term medical bills for concussions,” they said.

“The game was done, you gotta worry that a decision was made to send out a player with a broken bone.”

Steele’s injury adds to the Saints’ already-long list of casualties, ruling him out of the club’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations next round.

“It’s not feeling great but we’ll have a few scans and see how it is,” Steele told media.

X-Ray scans of Jack Steele's broken collarbone. Picture: Mitch Cleary, Twitter

The Saints confirmed that the midfielder would require surgery for the broken collarbone, and was looking at four weeks out.

“Jack’s as courageous as they come and to play out the game with a broken collarbone was a fantastic effort,” St Kilda’s acting general manager of football, David Mission said.

“We’re looking at a four-week recovery window for Jack,” he said.

“As we’ve seen with our playing list so far this season, while injuries aren’t ideal, all we can control is our response and I’m sure another play will step up in Jack’s absence and seize the opportunity to contribute to the team.”

If out for four weeks, Steele could be looking at returning in round 7 when the Saints take on Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.