AFL: St Kilda captain Jack Steele ready for GWS Giants clash at Manuka Oval

But there is one thing he wishes was different.

The Belconnen junior product loves the field's size, he loves playing in front of his family and friends, and he loves the footy St Kilda are playing heading into the round six fixture against the GWS Giants.

Still, he did hope to be back in the ACT for longer than a matter of hours.

"I'm sure I'm going to experience a range of emotions," he said.

"It's my first as captain, so I feel like it's going to be a pretty special homecoming for me to get back there and have all my family and friends in the crowd watching me play.

"And it'd be very nice to come away with a win against the old mob, that's for sure.

"The one thing that I wish we were doing was spending a little bit more time there. The team's flying in and out on the Friday.

"It would have been nice to be able to do a bit of a training session at Manuka Oval the day before, just to get a bit more of a feel for the ground, and I'm sure that would bring back a few more memories and emotions."

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The Saints sit 4-1 heading into Friday night's game, putting them on the right path to shake the AFL's longest flag drought (1966).

The side did not reach the finals last season but Steele said a number of things had changed since then.

And Manuka's field size is set to add an extra layer to St Kilda's arsenal as was evident in its round four win over Hawthorn at the MCG. Manuka has six centimetres in length and two centimetres in width on the 'G.

"It'll definitely suit our game style, and I've been saying that to a few of the boys that have been asking the question," he said.

"As they're not sure what the size of the ground is because some of them haven't ever played there, but I've been saying it's sort of a similar dimension to the G, so just get ready for that.

"And we're definitely playing more like a team. We've had very strong defensive performances, which have allowed us to go forward and created opportunities for us to kick scores.

"The way of valuing defence over anything else, and a team-first mentality when we play is so crucial to the success, as well as a number of individuals that have stepped up and really taken the load.

"But to be able to do it on a consistent level is so important. There's still a lot of work to be done and there's still a long season ahead. It's a marathon, not a sprint."

Steele was drafted by the Giants back in 2014, experienced his AFL debut with the club and played two seasons for the GWS outfit before making the move in 2017 to St Kilda.

Coming up against his old team, battling with a 1-4 record so far this season, the 26-year-old said it was business as usual.

But there were some nerves.

"I've just got to focus on what our task is as a team and and worry about that ... but it's always a nervous game coming up against the Giants being my old side and whatnot," Steele said.

"You never know what they're gonna do.

"I'm growing into my role as captain but it definitely does take a load off when we do win games of football."

The Giants will be boosted with the return of their co-captain Toby Greene, after a six game suspension.

Steele admitted his presence back in the squad would likely give GWS a boost, but the Saints were ready for whatever they faced in Canberra.

"We've obviously come off a few really good wins as a team. The feeling is pretty good at the moment within the club and within the team," he said.

"It's building a lot of trust and confidence amongst the group, so we still see this Friday night as a fair challenge.

"We know we can't take them too lightly. We're getting ready for a contest, especially with someone like Toby Greene coming back into their side.

"He seems to do a lot for their side and get them over line quite a lot of the time. So we've gotta be very careful."

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