McCartin stays a Saint
St Kilda forward to sign new deal, keeps Cats at bay
ST KILDA is set for a major boost with Paddy McCartin on the verge of signing a new contract that will shut down talk of a move to Geelong.
Only minor details remain before the deal — a two-year extension until the end of 2020 — is officially ratified and made public.
McCartin was due to come out of contract at the end of this year and there were mur- murs the Cats were circling to line up a trade for him to partner and eventually replace Tom Hawkins.
But St Kilda always refuted these suggestions and has reaffirmed its strong commitment to the 21-year-old by tying him up before his contractual situation could become a talking point in the winter months.
After setting a personal best in the club’s 3km time trial in early November, McCartin, the former Geelong Falcon taken with pick No.1 in the 2014 draft, suffered a mid-foot strain and was put on a modified training program until Christmas.
This minor setback is not expected to hamper him as the home-and-away season approaches and he will integrate into the main group over the next week.
“I’m feeling really confident and so are the doctors and everyone I have spoken to that I am going to be fine and I’m really looking forward to next year,” he said in November.
Of bigger concern is the former No.1 draft pick’s history with head knocks. He has been concussed six times, the last of which was in June and ended his 2017 season.
Although the club conceded he could have returned late in the year, they opted against taking any risks with their key forward. The vacancy left by St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt leaves McCartin nicely placed to slot into Alan Richardson’s best 22 for Round 1 alongside Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey.