St Kilda Senior Coach Alan Richardson is hopeful Paddy McCartin will miss only one week after the Saints elected to manage the emerging key forward’s workload.
McCartin, 20, has spent the last month in the senior side after overcoming an untimely hamstring injury during the NAB Challenge series, but won’t play at any level this weekend as the Saints look to freshen up the spearhead’s body.
The 2014 No. 1 draft pick has shown glimpses of his talent across the last four weeks that have left Saints fans salivating. But given his age, Richardson said the less than ideal preparation to his second season has taken its toll.
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“It’s really just come up in the last week or so. Paddy didn’t have the perfect prep coming in – he missed three games prior to the season starting with a hammy,” Richardson told reporters at a press conference on Friday.
“He got concussion so therefore a lower load week halfway through the Collingwood game, so he’s been a little bit interrupted. So it’s as if it’s just caught up with him.
“What did he play? His tenth game of footy on the weekend? And he’s just a bit sore. So I hope it’s only a week, but we’ll just have to see how he responds. He’ll just get his body right.”
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Mobile key forward Tim Membrey will replace McCartin in St Kilda’s forward setup, with the 21-year-old coming in for his first game of 2016.
The former Sydney Swan played 12 games in his maiden season at Linen House Centre in 2015, before requiring a shoulder reconstruction in the closing stages of the year, which affected his second pre-season at the Saints.
With that injury now behind him, Richardson said Membrey returns to the senior fold on the back of strong form in the VFL, providing a different element for the Saints inside 50.
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“Tim hasn’t played a lot of AFL footy. He’s had some strong form after a slow pre-season,” Richardson said.
“He had a shoulder reconstruction so he didn’t really join in until after Christmas and then took a while to join in when we had match simulation.
“It was a slow go in many ways, but he’s last couple of weeks have been really positive and we think he can potentially be a dangerous match up in front of the ball.
“He’s the type of player that can be good in the air and he’s also good on the ground. We’re looking forward to having Tim in the team.”
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