Saints unlikely to redraft Paddy

[ace]

The AFL says it won't stand in the way of Sydney giving Paddy McCartin a second chance on an AFL list. But there’s a catch.

Sydney is free to select former No.1 pick Paddy McCartin as a free agent as he moves a step closer to a contentious return from severe concussion symptoms.

But the AFL would consult with Sydney’s doctors over his medical fitness and the league would need to give the final tick of approval before he was able to play an AFL game.

Swans coach John Longmire said on Monday “all options are open” for the club to select McCartin despite a spate of concussions that ended his time at St Kilda.

The Herald Sun understands the league would not stand in the way of him being drafted or selected as a rookie, but would closely monitor his progress.

Rival clubs believe the most likely option would be the Swans securing the delisted free agent as a supplementary selection who would train with the club from January 6 next year before a decision to elevate him to their list ahead of Round 1.

It would allow Sydney to assess his progress and ramp up his training even further after the league approved his return to training after detailed concussion tests at the Epworth Hospital early this year.

Geelong and St Kilda had some early interest in McCartin but have moved on, with Sydney the only club to declare its interest.

The league has carefully assessed his progress and is supportive of him returning to football at the AFL or lower levels while also being fully aware of his history and the severity of his symptoms.

It means they would work in concert with the Swans over the course of a pre-season and would give the final tick-off if he got through several months of training.

Clubs are aware that for all his wondrous potential, McCartin might be only one more severe concussion away from ending his career.

So they are reluctant to give up a guaranteed list spot on him, with many AFL club figures keen to see him succeed but scared for his long-term health given his history.


A league spokesman told the Herald Sun last month: “Given Paddy’s previous concussion history, the AFL will work with him and any potential club that he may play for, in assessing his fitness to return to play in the AFL or at another level of football.”

He has been training all season and is in career-best shape.

Longmire said on Monday his club remained interested in bringing the former Saint to the harbour city to join his brother Tom at the Swans.

“We’ve looked at him,” he told SEN.

“Going into the draft and the rookie draft in the next couple of weeks, we’ve certainly got all options open.

“There’s been no guarantees made.

“We just need to make sure we keep everything open for us and that’s what we’re doing.

“Obviously, we love what Tommy’s been able to do with us and the McCartin family are fantastic and we’ll see what happens on draft night.

“We have to make sure we keep all our options open and we’ll see what happens.”


Former AFL researcher Alan Pearce told the Herald Sun clubs would have to consider their duty of care to McCartin if they were to recruit him.

“Players like Shaun Smith have already told him he shouldn’t do it. I am sure John Barnes would be the same. Barnesy has only just turned 50 and he has said his quality of life isn’t great,” he said.

“That could be 25 years away for Paddy but it comes around quickly. There is the short-term pain in not playing but the long-term gain in your brain health.”

McCartin said in an emotional radio interview after he left St Kilda he was a “shell of the person” he had once been.

But after a panel of concussion experts gave him permission to return to training in February he has ramped up that program.

He said recently he believed he could make a successful return to AFL football despite the concussion history.

“I feel really fit. I feel motivated and I feel like I am going to be fine,” McCartin said.

“It has not been one of those things where I think I have to do it, I really want to do it … and that is all off the back of the medical clearance that I was given about 10 months ago.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... 0c880bf465

[Saintmike65]

Unfortunately for Paddy, the first head knock he gets will likely be the end of his career.
I'm glad we're not going to pick him up, certainly not for his football ability but the heart would be in our collective mouths every time he went up for a mark in a pack situation.
I really fear for his long term welfare as it stands now, let alone him playing again!

[SinCitySainter]

I am really conflicted on this.
While I can see why he wants to try to resurrect his career and I would love to see him be successful I also sort of hope nobody drafts him.
With his concussion history I can only see the situation ending badly.
I wish the club or the AFL could offer him a role behind the scenes maybe at Sandringham or something.
Give him another channel for keeping his football dream alive even if it is not as a player.

[Ghost Like]

I am really conflicted on this.
While I can see why he wants to try to resurrect his career and I would love to see him be successful I also sort of hope nobody drafts him.
With his concussion history I can only see the situation ending badly.
I wish the club or the AFL could offer him a role behind the scenes maybe at Sandringham or something.
Give him another channel for keeping his football dream alive even if it is not as a player.

I've no confliction. If we had chosen Petracca like 99% of every other recruiting panel would have, we would be sympathetic and impartial that the kid / young adult should give up the dream. A travesty we chose him, a tragedy what's happened with him.

[SaintPelican66]

I feel sorry for Paddy. He obviously does not have a quality person in his camp to advise him against this. Paddy coming back to footy is bordering on insanity. Imagine him bending down for the ball and Long coming the other way?

[asiu]

not sure you can say that
as an obviousment

given context , its more likely
most have advised him against it ,
but now fall in behind Team Paddy
as they prep for sail

[Harves Man]

I am really conflicted on this.
While I can see why he wants to try to resurrect his career and I would love to see him be successful I also sort of hope nobody drafts him.
With his concussion history I can only see the situation ending badly.
I wish the club or the AFL could offer him a role behind the scenes maybe at Sandringham or something.
Give him another channel for keeping his football dream alive even if it is not as a player.

I've no confliction. If we had chosen Petracca like 99% of every other recruiting panel would have, we would be sympathetic and impartial that the kid / young adult should give up the dream. A travesty we chose him, a tragedy what's happened with him.

Actually, I would have said that 99.99% would have taken Petracca, given that our team WAS SCREAMING OUT FOR A MIDFIELDER, DESPERATELY, but I agree with your point!

[saintbrat]

It would seem that Paddy Did not get picked up, disappointing for him but his health first priority.

[diddley]

It would seem that Paddy Did not get picked up, disappointing for him but his health first priority.

I would have thought if anyone was going to grab him, it would be as a SSP rookie pick.
You may find he will get permission to train with a team like Sydney, and then they can decide wether they want to grab him closer to the start of the season, much like Melbourne did with Harley Bennell.

[bangaulegend]

I see similarities to Will Pucovski both very talented sportsmen but very susceptible to minor head trauma that leads to concussion. Both have put so much effort to get to a point where livelihood pretty much depend on it only to be crimpled by a curse that just won't let them reach their full potential

[CQ SAINT]

I see similarities to Will Pucovski both very talented sportsmen but very susceptible to minor head trauma that leads to concussion. Both have put so much effort to get to a point where livelihood pretty much depend on it only to be crimpled by a curse that just won't let them reach their full potential

Ever been hit in the helmet by a bouncer? Minor head trauma?

[shanegrambeau]

Perhaps VFA - whatever it is called, SANFL or WAFL may come a calling?

[CQ SAINT]

Perhaps VFA - whatever it is called, SANFL or WAFL may come a calling?

I reckon the Danny Frawley centre may come calling.

[Harves Man]

I see similarities to Will Pucovski both very talented sportsmen but very susceptible to minor head trauma that leads to concussion. Both have put so much effort to get to a point where livelihood pretty much depend on it only to be crimpled by a curse that just won't let them reach their full potential

Ever been hit in the helmet by a bouncer? Minor head trauma?

Hi CQ, this post reminds me about when I was working with a girl, who was from a whole family that loved cricket.

One Saturday afternoon, she was watching an international test match with her Sister (who is renown for being witty, very quickly) and the commentator on the TV said "and that's a nasty bouncer - it's risen up and struck the batsman, right on the helmet". Her Sister, with no time to think about it, just said: "well, he should have been wearing a box!".

[meher baba]

I've no confliction. If we had chosen Petracca like 99% of every other recruiting panel would have, we would be sympathetic and impartial that the kid / young adult should give up the dream. A travesty we chose him, a tragedy what's happened with him.

Normally I am dismissive of people who criticise the decisions of others by making use of 20/20 hindsight. And it's particularly easy to accuse McCartin's critics of this because of his diabetes (which, as far as I can see, has never been an issue) and his tendency to become concussed (which wasn't obvious at the time he was drafted, although the root cause of it - his poor positional sense - probably was).

But it was 100% clear to everyone at the time of the draft that Petracca was easily the best prospect in a pretty uninspiring draft: the most obvious #1 draft pick since Bryce Gibbs. McCartin was a star of junior football, but professional recruiters should have picked up his limited agility and his poor positional sense: shortcomings that he displayed from his debut for the Saints. So it's not 20/20 hindsight to criticise the recruiters of the time for their poor judgement. It was obvious to most people in the football world at the time: but, of course, they were all too polite to say anything back then, especially in light of the fact that all agree that McCartin is an absolutely terrific bloke.

I feel incredibly sorry for him that he has been unable to pursue an AFL career to the best of his abilities. If he hadn't experienced his concussion problems, I think he might have had a reasonable AFL career as a fair average quality full forward for a poor to mediocre club: occupying space on the forward line and creating opportunities for others, while also kicking the occasional goal. But IMO he was never going to become a star. And surely the point of having a #1 draft pick is to try and recruit an A grade player. Petracca looked highly likely to become such a player at the time, and he has indeed developed into one. More fool us.

[asiu]

Ever been hit in the helmet by a bouncer? Minor head trauma?

nuh

luckily
.. ‘they’ tried though !!

coz i hit plenty of them
when i had the pill.

[asiu]

call me ... an angry terry alderman
with a ripper rising ball
off just short of a good length

hehehe

didn’t make a lot of friends out of it
but **** em

[The Billings Method]

I've no confliction. If we had chosen Petracca like 99% of every other recruiting panel would have, we would be sympathetic and impartial that the kid / young adult should give up the dream. A travesty we chose him, a tragedy what's happened with him.

Normally I am dismissive of people who criticise the decisions of others by making use of 20/20 hindsight. And it's particularly easy to accuse McCartin's critics of this because of his diabetes (which, as far as I can see, has never been an issue) and his tendency to become concussed (which wasn't obvious at the time he was drafted, although the root cause of it - his poor positional sense - probably was).

But it was 100% clear to everyone at the time of the draft that Petracca was easily the best prospect in a pretty uninspiring draft: the most obvious #1 draft pick since Bryce Gibbs. McCartin was a star of junior football, but professional recruiters should have picked up his limited agility and his poor positional sense: shortcomings that he displayed from his debut for the Saints. So it's not 20/20 hindsight to criticise the recruiters of the time for their poor judgement. It was obvious to most people in the football world at the time: but, of course, they were all too polite to say anything back then, especially in light of the fact that all agree that McCartin is an absolutely terrific bloke.

I feel incredibly sorry for him that he has been unable to pursue an AFL career to the best of his abilities. If he hadn't experienced his concussion problems, I think he might have had a reasonable AFL career as a fair average quality full forward for a poor to mediocre club: occupying space on the forward line and creating opportunities for others, while also kicking the occasional goal. But IMO he was never going to become a star. And surely the point of having a #1 draft pick is to try and recruit an A grade player. Petracca looked highly likely to become such a player at the time, and he has indeed developed into one. More fool us.

He was just an average kick for goal. Hardly ideal for a future full forward. This obvious weakness was masked at junior level by his strong marking and the fact he got lots of shots on goal. Once he entered the AFL at senior level, this weakness became even more apparent. Thank goodness we have some competent recruiters now.

[remboy]

Melbourne would have taken McCartin at 2 if we'd picked Peteacca.

[The Billings Method]

Melbourne would have taken McCartin at 2 if we'd picked Peteacca.

And hasn't their recruiting been brilliant!

[meher baba]

Melbourne would have taken McCartin at 2 if we'd picked Peteacca.

Where did you hear that?

[repta]

I am not one to defend the decision to use the number 1 draft spot to pick him. However the decision was made after Bulldogs sold the kitchen sink (and everything else) for Tom Boyd.
Paddy lack of fitness wasnt an issue in the under 18s as he just stayed in the forward arc where a player had to be stationed at all times.
Petracca was the Number 1 pick all year. Paddy was tipped at 2 at a pretty soft draft.

[CQ SAINT]

call me ... an angry terry alderman
with a ripper rising ball
off just short of a good length

hehehe

didn’t make a lot of friends out of it
but **** em

I wasn't big on defence as a batsman, I fleeted between fame and failure with the bat. Not strong on the front foot, but I had a good eye and loved to stay in my crease and dispatch via the pull and the hook. I was hit quite often by your type. Lol

[asiu]

your type woulda luvved dispatching me over mid on
and square leg

but i was too Terry for that malarky

the ones that counterpunched and interfered
with my figures
drove me straight
then when i started getting testy about it
plonk me into or over cow corner

[asiu]

the answer of course
was to serve up a carbon copy
of the delivery that got dispatched
but slower
(and well disguised + timing)

otherwise that went over cow corner as well