Geelong captain Joel Selwood doesn’t need to know details surrounding Jack Steven stabbing, Brian Cook believes the details will become known ‘at some stage’
Geelong captain Joel Selwood caught up with Jack Steven during the week and said he was in good spirits. But he doesn’t need to know the circumstances surrounding his stabbing. And he believes the Cats recruit could return sooner rather than later.
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Joel Selwood believes Jack Steven could return to training at Geelong this week and says he doesn’t need to know the reason for his stabbing if it helps his teammate’s rehabilitation.
The inspiring Geelong captain said Steven’s teammates were confident he had been on path to feeling happy and content as a footballer before his latest setback.
And while he understands fans will clamour to understand exactly who stabbed Steven, he says if the AFL and the right people have the details of the incident his privacy could still be respected.
Selwood told ABC Radio he caught up with Steven this week and still believes he is in an excellent frame of mind.
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“I have, I dropped a coffee on the way to work during the week,” he said.
“(I) dropped it over the back fence because that’s about all you can do but he was in good spirits, and on the road to recovery which is the most important thing out of everything.
“I do (think he wants to return), I am unsure when exactly that will be but as Chris said during the week its days rather than weeks before we see Jack at training.”
“At the moment he has to go through what he needs to go through and the point I took out of it is that the right people will find out and will know what is going on. And that’s really important for mine to know.
“Everyone wants to understand the circumstances but if we are to make Jack as well and healthy as we can, we are just doing that right now.
“We understand (our fans) have a huge interest in it but what we do with Jack and the rest of our players is put them first. We will always have that front of mind and we understand people do want to know but at the end of the day if that’s all that matters, we would much rather look after the person and take as long as we need.
“The journey Jack has been on, it’s been one he has been on for a while and we need him smiling when he walks in the doors at the footy club and when he’s out there playing and we feel like he’s on a journey to getting there eventually.”
Selwood said he had never experienced a training week like his return last week with players in small groups and an exclusion zone through the middle of the ground.
But he warned fans the standard of football might not be what they expected early.
“It’s been so different, hopefully we will never see anything like it again,” he said.
“To think in three weeks time we would get a product we were getting last year, we are going to get a bit angry with where the game is at but I still think when we get back in three weeks time we will get a product that will make people happy enough.”
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TOP CAT SAYS STEVEN STABBING DETAILS WILL COME OUT
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Geelong chief executive Brian Cook believes the details surrounding midfielder Jack Steven’s stabbing incident will become known “at some stage.”
Detectives interviewed Steven and his ex-partner over the incident and the investigation is expected to be finalised within days.
Steven spoke to investigators for the first time on Friday.
Detectives are still working to establish an exact timeline, but believe he was stabbed in the Brighton area last Saturday night.
It is unclear why he took more than five days to speak to detectives over the matter.
Cook said on Saturday the Cats would continue to support Steven.
“The police have started to investigate the matter and I believe it’s come a fair way in a short period of time,” he said.
“The AFL integrity (department) are on to it now as well.
“We are looking after Jack’s health and his well being and his mental health, and we are forever getting medical advice about Jack and what we should be doing.
“In my opinion there is no doubt whatever has happened will come to the fore at some stage.”
Cook said he hoped Steven would return to the club in the coming weeks.
“He’s out of hospital and he’s back home in Lorne,” he told Fox Footy.
“Of course he’s recovering.
“He’s still to be assessed in terms of exactly when he’ll come back to the club, but we’re hoping sooner rather than later.
“Hopefully in a week or two, but we’re still waiting on that medical advice.”
Meanwhile, St Kilda’s leadership group has vowed to stand behind Steven as the four-time Saints’ club champion recovers from the incident.
Dylan Roberton said many of the Saints players had kept in contact with Steven since his departure to Geelong at the end of last season.
“He (Steven) has left the club as a player, but he has some really strong relationships with the club,” Roberton said.
“He and Jarryn Geary have been close friends since they were drafted.”
Steven played 183 games across 11 seasons with the Saints before he requested a trade to be closer to his family, to help him deal with his mental health battles.
“The welfare (team) and the doctors have worked really closely with Jack,” Roberton said.
“We just want the best for him and for his family. Whether that is playing footy this year or not, we want him to be able to look after himself and his family.”
Originally published as Geelong captain Joel Selwood doesn’t need to know details surrounding Jack Steven stabbing, Brian Cook believes the details will become known ‘at some stage’
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