Saints in shape to help up forward

ST KILDA coach Alan Richardson is buoyed by the fitness of forwards Paddy McCartin and Maverick Weller after indifferent 2017 seasons.

Small forward Weller has shed 8kg, now weighing in at 83kg. No.1 pick McCartin ran a PB in the 3km time-trial on his return to pre-season training, though that is expected from most young AFL players.

It’s who he ran it with that pleased Richardson.

“Paddy’s in good shape,” the coach said. “Thirteen of the 18 [first to fourth-year players] ran PBs, which was important, but it was where Paddy was running. It was the group he was running with. He was up with some of the mids. It was really promising.”

Saints staff have noted changes in McCartin’s body shape — less lump of a lad and more square shoulders and muscle definition.

“He’s one we clearly need to be the player that we want him to be and we’re really confident he will be that player,’’ Richardson said, adding that McCartin needed luck with injuries and head knocks.

“You love your players, particularly those who just give everything for their footy club and their teammates and Paddy is one of those.

“And Paddy’s had his challenges, so there’s probably another layer of want [ from me] for him to get the luck he needs. But we’re really excited for Paddy.”

Richardson dismissed a suggestion McCartin should play as a key defender next season.

“No, he’ll play forward,” he said. “He’ll do a bit of work technically and this is one of ‘Spud’ Frawley’s lines, don’t put your head where your bum can be, because most of the concussions have been ground balls.”

Hard-nut Weller played 18 games for 11 goals this year and carried an ankle injury for much of the last two thirds of the season.

“He wouldn’t want me to make excuses, so these aren’t excuses, these are reasons,” Richardson said.

“He was performing really strongly for the first four or five games and then got a very bad ankle injury and he shouldn’t have played and we’ve had that conversation.”