Paddy and the burden of symbolism

[Waltzing St Kilda]

It's no fault of Paddy's, but being taken at pick one means you carry an awful burden of symbolism.

Look at Roo a decade ago. He seemed to revel in the responsibility. Fearless. Tireless.
Proud. Commanding. Arrogant. He symbolised a St Kilda that demanded respect. It's no coincidence
that we experienced our second best period of sustained success.

Unfortunately, Paddy now symbolises what St Kilda has become. Lumbering. Lacking skill. Hobbled by
ailments. Needing constant injections. All promise and no delivery.

You really need to nail a Number One pick -- we all knew that at the time -- and Elsaugh stuffed up mightily.

[degruch]

Just having a quick look at history...not too many clubs have nailed #1, so I don't feel so bad. Anyways, carry on...

[Drake Huggins]

We didn't nail ours. Sort of blue tacked it.

[ace]

We didn't nail ours. Sort of blue tacked it.

I hope you are right about the blue tack.
When the blue tack fails a few times, I admit it ain't up to the job.
I go get a hammer and NAIL IT.

[SaintPav]

It’s not his fault but he should never had been selected top 20 let alone first pick given his medical condition and the risk involved.

Negligent.

[ace]

It’s not his fault but he should never had been selected top 20 let alone first pick given his medical condition and the risk involved.

Negligent.

Negligence implies you did not take sufficient care.
Trout took plenty of care and did it anyway.
That is wilful failure.
And instead of being sacked he gets promoted.

[stonecold]

It’s not his fault but he should never had been selected top 20 let alone first pick given his medical condition and the risk involved.

Negligent.

Paddy was always going top 5!!!!!

[fugazi]

Most recruiters had him top 3 so its not like we were outrageously extravagant in selecting him.
What hurts is that virtually everyone knew Petracca was the one to get at pick 1.
We overthought it.
There is still time for him to turn it around.
Another 5 or 6 games will show us where he is at and where he can get to.

[SydneySainter]

My thoughts exactly. It’s not his fault we selected him at pick 1 and he’s clearly burdened by the increased pressure and scrutiny that comes with being a top 1 draft pick.

The club will deny this till the cows come home, but they clearly panicked a bit after the Boyd deal and came to the conclusion that key forwards are harder to come by then star mids, so let’s recruit the best forward in the draft and use free agency to get our star mids.

Seeing as free agency hasn’t worked out for us, the scrutiny of the Paddy pick worsens, because we need a Petracca type player more and more.

Paddy will never be Jeremy Cameron, but I could still see him becoming a solid forward, a bit of a Tex Walker type. If we do what we did with Lynch and trade him while he still has a shred of value left to a club who actually has a track record of developing young players, we could even more ridiculous for years to come. Same goes for Hickey.

[Scollop]

As long as he continues to mature and as long as the club has a plan, he might be a valuable contributor, but I agree with the OP, that he wasn't worth a pick 1

Dale Weightman and other AFL players and other professional sportspeople were able to manage their condition and train their bums off. Is it the Saints that are soft or is it ultimately the player who needs to stop making excuses?

We are poor at player development but at the same time that doesn't negate the fact that Paddy is responsible for how hard he wants to work to acheive his goals. I think it's a bit of both. I also think he played ok last week for a bloke that has not played many AFL games.

[Sainternist]

We were too pragmatic in looking too far into the future in trying to fill a KFP and overlooking a clear best player in the draft.

Moral of the story: you get the best available player in the draft when they standout prouder than a honeymooner's John Thomas.

[Joffa Burns]

Now don't be sad, cause two out of three aint bad!

#1. Nick Reiwoldt - once in a generation player & best in his draft by daylight
#1. Brendan Goddard - gun AFL player & best in his draft
#1. Paddy McCartin - we'll see but not looking a great selection

As it stands right now Jake Lever #14 is the stand out from Paddy's draft.
Have a look at the first round selections of GWS, not the greatest results when analysed.
Then look at Adelaide, they rarely make a mistake and turn rookies into jet players.
They lose Lever and replace him with Dodee who is almost a mirror image.

Is it the drafting or development?
I'd say a combo of both in equal proportions.

[prwilkinson]

Josh Battle will probably go past him this year anyway.

[saint64]

Josh Battle will probably go past him this year anyway.

I think our best combination by the end of the season could be Battle and Membrey as mobile mid-size forwards and Bruce as our tall forward.

[Con Gorozidis]

My thoughts exactly. It’s not his fault we selected him at pick 1 and he’s clearly burdened by the increased pressure and scrutiny that comes with being a top 1 draft pick.

The club will deny this till the cows come home, but they clearly panicked a bit after the Boyd deal and came to the conclusion that key forwards are harder to come by then star mids, so let’s recruit the best forward in the draft and use free agency to get our star mids.

Seeing as free agency hasn’t worked out for us, the scrutiny of the Paddy pick worsens, because we need a Petracca type player more and more.

Paddy will never be Jeremy Cameron, but I could still see him becoming a solid forward, a bit of a Tex Walker type. If we do what we did with Lynch and trade him while he still has a shred of value left to a club who actually has a track record of developing young players, we could even more ridiculous for years to come. Same goes for Hickey.

Tex kicked 60 goals in the season (2012) at Paddy's current age.

[Crossy66]

Most recruiters had him top 3 so its not like we were outrageously extravagant in selecting him.
What hurts is that virtually everyone knew Petracca was the one to get at pick 1.
We overthought it.
There is still time for him to turn it around.
Another 5 or 6 games will show us where he is at and where he can get to.

Paddy McCartin St Kilda Geelong Falcons TAC Cup
1 2 Christian Petracca Melbourne
1 3 Angus Brayshaw Melbourne
1 4 Jarrod Pickett Greater Western Sydney
1 5 Jordan De Goey Collingwood
1 6 Caleb Marchbank Greater Western Sydney
1 7 Paul Ahern Greater Western Sydney
1 8 Peter Wright Gold Coast
1 9 Darcy Moore Collingwood
1 10 Nakia Cockatoo Geelong

None of this lot really tearing it up at this stage are they? Brayshaw maybe one more concussion away from retirement, Moore is a failed forward and now backman, Marchbank moved on.
Petracca probably the pick of the bunch but he still aint a Nick Riewoldt, Luke Hodge, Goddard, cooney etc etc.
I'm backing Paddy to go past most of this lot by the time he's done. (if he can keep his head out of the way)

[prwilkinson]

Josh Battle will probably go past him this year anyway.

I think our best combination by the end of the season could be Battle and Membrey as mobile mid-size forwards and Bruce as our tall forward.

Battle can play big plus he has 2nd,3rd & 4th efforts. I really like the kid.

[Sainternist]

Now don't be sad, cause two out of three aint bad!

#1. Nick Reiwoldt - once in a generation player & best in his draft by daylight
#1. Brendan Goddard - gun AFL player & best in his draft
#1. Paddy McCartin - we'll see but not looking a great selection

He's not even in the same league as those two. Both Rooey and BJ went on to play 300+ career games. McCartin is a chronic diabetic with zero confidence. Sorry, but it's as simple as that. He'll be lucky to play 50 career games at this rate.

[David-Lee]

Jeez.. I think Paddy as a player is average. He has great moments, good moments and sadly lots of average moments. I didnt want him in the draft I wanted to get Jake Lever and convert him to a forward.
But everyone and I mean almost every media outlet had Paddy at 1or 2.
So he sucks. He will be trade fodder next year or the year after. Like goes on. He may improve with a bit of play but its dillusional to think we can go to the draft and select a Reiwoldt everytime.

[saintspremiers]

I’m more concerned about us continually stuffing up our second and third round picks over the past 10 years.

[stonecold]

Most recruiters had him top 3 so its not like we were outrageously extravagant in selecting him.
What hurts is that virtually everyone knew Petracca was the one to get at pick 1.
We overthought it.
There is still time for him to turn it around.
Another 5 or 6 games will show us where he is at and where he can get to.

Paddy McCartin St Kilda Geelong Falcons TAC Cup
1 2 Christian Petracca Melbourne
1 3 Angus Brayshaw Melbourne
1 4 Jarrod Pickett Greater Western Sydney
1 5 Jordan De Goey Collingwood
1 6 Caleb Marchbank Greater Western Sydney
1 7 Paul Ahern Greater Western Sydney
1 8 Peter Wright Gold Coast
1 9 Darcy Moore Collingwood
1 10 Nakia Cockatoo Geelong

None of this lot really tearing it up at this stage are they? Brayshaw maybe one more concussion away from retirement, Moore is a failed forward and now backman, Marchbank moved on.
Petracca probably the pick of the bunch but he still aint a Nick Riewoldt, Luke Hodge, Goddard, cooney etc etc.
I'm backing Paddy to go past most of this lot by the time he's done. (if he can keep his head out of the way)

Great Post Crossman!!!!!

We didn't need another Tractor, so who out of that list would have our Forum Experts had picked instead?????

C'mon DH, you even have hindsight to assit you, should be easy for an expert like you!!!!!

[MC Gusto]

Whilst he’s been in the system for 4 years, he’s played 23 games. How’d those other guys look with 23 games under their belt?

Unless I’ve missed something there’s no link between his concussions and diabetes so we really can’t argue that his diabetes is playing a factor unless you want to go into some sort of uneducated skinfolds argument..(I’ll accept the view of a doctor if he/she exists on this forum)

Let him get a good run at a season or 2 and 50 games under his belt and then judge

[bigred]

Still has a few weeks IMO.

24 games as of right now.

Petracca has 40 and effectively missed a season. Half of those games were average at best. Shown up by Brayshaw and Oliver quite a bit early. Starting to come into his own now as he gets some games under his belt.

Er... yeah, after he gets some games under his belt.

[CQ SAINT]

Whilst he’s been in the system for 4 years, he’s played 23 games. How’d those other guys look with 23 games under their belt?

Unless I’ve missed something there’s no link between his concussions and diabetes so we really can’t argue that his diabetes is playing a factor unless you want to go into some sort of uneducated skinfolds argument..(I’ll accept the view of a doctor if he/she exists on this forum)

Let him get a good run at a season or 2 and 50 games under his belt and then judge

There is a definite link between diabetes and concussion.
Diabetics brains are very poor at turning glucose into energy. No energy to the brain (particulary after trauma) and its lights out. Then recovery is further depleted because diabetics also have depleted magnesium levels which is debilitating in general, let alone when you are diabetic and recovering from mild trauma to the head.

Just managing diabetes becomes a chore let alone managing concussion. The risk of concussion is much higher and much more severe for diabetics.

Dont take my word for it though, have a good read. There is heaps of research going on currently. It can be managed but it is not easy.

[perfectionist]

It's no fault of Paddy's, but being taken at pick one means you carry an awful burden of symbolism.

Look at Roo a decade ago. He seemed to revel in the responsibility. Fearless. Tireless.
Proud. Commanding. Arrogant. He symbolised a St Kilda that demanded respect. It's no coincidence
that we experienced our second best period of sustained success.

Unfortunately, Paddy now symbolises what St Kilda has become. Lumbering. Lacking skill. Hobbled by
ailments. Needing constant injections. All promise and no delivery.

You really need to nail a Number One pick -- we all knew that at the time -- and Elsaugh stuffed up mightily.

Post of the year! (other than most of what I have written of course).

I shuddered when Kosi, of all people , asked the coach about Paddy before the start of the game against Brisbane. As if weight of expectations weren't high enough anyway.

The good news for Paddy was on show last Monday - Ben McEvoy. Ben wasn't fit for one second at the Saints and the results showed it. Moved to the Hawks - a completely different body shape - and voilà - two premiership medallions.