Criticism of former No.1 pick Paddy McCartin is unfair especially when compared to Christian Petracca, Mark Robinson writes
PADDY McCartin cops heavy criticism for his form and conditioning, while Christian Petracca, who was taken the pick after him, is a young star. The Saints had their reasons for selecting McCartin and it’s time we stop looking for reasons to pot him, MARK ROBINSON writes.
Mark Robinson
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CHRISTIAN Petracca played out of his skin for Melbourne last Sunday and the plan was to write a column that compared him to Paddy McCartin.
Petracca is a come-watch-me kind of guy, like Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the court jester and who dances and darts around people and places. And McCartin? Well, hasn’t St Kilda made a mistake.
While celebrating Petracca, it would be a pounding for McCartin.
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I warned St Kilda Alan Richardson last Monday after AFL360 that there’d be column today on McCartin versus Petracca.
He didn’t say it, but I could tell Richardson was annoyed.
He loves Paddy and despises the criticism of him. The St Kilda coach sees Paddy differently to most of us. He sees a person first and a footballer second. He sees a young man battling Type 1 diabetes and busting his bum to play good footy.
Others see a footballer first and a person second; and a footballer failing because by comparison Petracca is a star in the making.
We like lists and rankings. Who’s best? Who’s in the Top 50? Did Melbourne get it right with Jack Watts over Nic Naitanui? Would St Kilda want their time again with McCartin and Petracca?
We’re all guilty of it without a moment’s thought for a player’s wellbeing.
This week, Matthew Lloyd said McCartin had to lose weight. Matthew Richardson, who is the ultimate players’ commentator, was asked on 3AW whether McCartin had three weeks to turn it on or lose his spot. Richo said “yes”.
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It prompted discussion. Is he too fat? Is he a bust? Why didn’t they take Petracca? And social media joined the debate.
Football is 24/7 evaluation, salivation and condemnation.
Is it fair that McCartin is a sub plot to the Petracca celebration? No, but that’s footy.
Boundaries in sport are being rewritten by the season. On Friday night, they were rewritten by the hour.
If there has been a more heartbreaking night of sports announcements, I can’t think of one.
Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and Darren Lehmann were broken men. It was hard to watch.
A father’s hand on his son’s shoulder — let’s hope we never have to see the likes of it again.
The cricketers were paying for their sins and, in a wider discussion, people wanted the media to pay for their sins.
The world is changing.
It seems we all want a head on a platter. That, or total humiliation.
Smith and Co. were wrong, but the media has been accused of writing death notices instead of opinion pieces.
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Far less important, but when Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury tweeted he was rapt to have the AFL back, it became a “social media” story because he was accused of disrespecting AFLW. It was an absolute non-story. But Pendlebury’s head was on the platter.
The radio grub who hijacked Smith’s press conference on Friday night thought he was funny. It was a low act for self-recognition and shamefully disrespectful. What have we become when a person stoops to such a behaviour?
On the same night in a different state, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was harangued by a Crows a supporter after the game. What possess a 65-year-old to abuse an AFL coach as he walks from the box to the ground?
And now we wait for Dave Warner? He’s judged already. He’s the real villain.
If he doesn’t cry when he speaks on Saturday, he will be accused of being heartless and remorseless.
On Friday he was accused of avoiding the media by having his two children and his tearful wife by his side at Sydney airport.
No matter your thoughts on Warner, it’s disgusting when the kids are thrust into the dispute.
In the AFL this week, Carlton took the mickey out of former coach Mick Malthouse. The instigator was the comedian Andy Lee. Lee said he spoke to Malthouse beforehand and everything was hunky dory. Malthouse was less than impressd when he spoke to the Herald Sun this week. But what the hell, it’s only Mick.
The irony. We are urged not to make fun of people because of mental health considerations, but it’s OK for comedians to ridicule.
Maybe I’m overreaching because of my Alex Fasolo moment. I was wrong and happily more aware now about mental health and vulnerabilities.
The mental health space engulfed the Adelaide Crows during week.
Clearly, there are victims here and when there are victims, people want culprits. More heads on a platter.
On Saturday, Collingwood plays Greater Western Sydney and the focus will be on the future of coach Nathan Buckley and maybe even Eddie McGuire if there’s a bad loss. If Pendleurby plays a bad game — especially after Mike Sheahan said he was no longer an A-grader — will the furnace envelop the skipper?
Probably, because football wants victims.
Because Petracca’s light is shining brightly, does that mean McCartin should be the victim?
On Friday it was revealed just how much preparation and observation McCartin required to play a single game of football because of his illness. It was eye-opening without it being an excuse for performance.
St Kilda drafted McCartin knowing Nick Riewoldt was soon to retire, knowing he was a diabetic and, as we speak, they know he’s a slow burn to Petracca’s explosion.
At just 21 and after 23 games, Richardson was right: It’s wrong to be putting McCartin’s head on a platter.
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